Arab Strategic Miscalculations

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel is the latest in a long line of strategic blunders.

8390

Countries of all stripes – whether developed or underdeveloped, democratic or authoritarian – have been known to commit strategic military miscalculations. The U.S., for example, won decisive wars against developed countries such as Germany and Japan, but blundered in wars against much lesser powers like Vietnam in the 1970s and Iraq and Afghanistan after the […]

This article is for subscribers only

Join thousands of readers who rely on GPF for clear-eyed geopolitical analysis.

$79 per year Save 27% vs. monthly
Full access to all daily analysis & forecasts
George Friedman's geopolitical insights
2026 Forecast & Special Collection on the Middle East
100% reader-supported
Subscribe Now

30-day money-back guarantee


Already a subscriber? Log in

Hilal Khashan
Hilal Khashan is a contributing analyst at Geopolitical Futures. He is a Professor of political science at the American University of Beirut and a respected author and analyst of Middle Eastern affairs. He is the author of six books, including Hizbullah: A Mission to Nowhere. (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2019.) He is currently writing a book titled Saudi Arabia: The Dilemma of Political Reform and the Illusion of Economic Development. He is also the author of more than 110 articles that appeared in journals such as Orbis, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, The Brown Journal of World Affairs, Middle East Quarterly, Third World Quarterly, Israel Affairs, Journal of Religion and Society, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, and The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.