Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

Sign In Sign Up

Shana Marshall

Shana Marshall is associate director of the Institute for Middle East Studies and assistant research professor at The George Washington University.

MER Article

The Defense Industry’s Role in Militarizing US Foreign Policy

As the welfare state shrinks, one of the last sure bets for big government spending is the maintenance of the warfare state. As the global coronavirus pandemic has made incredibly clear, the US government is disinclined to pump federal resources into health programs, social insurance or food security infrastructure. But

Shana Marshall • 18 min read

Scholars, Spies and the Gulf Military Industrial Complex — UAE Dubai Courts

Current Analysis

Scholars, Spies and the Gulf Military Industrial Complex

A military-industrial complex is growing in the Gulf states. In May 2018, a British researcher Matt Hedges was arrested in the UAE and charged with espionage for researching this industry as a spy, not a scholar. His colleague Shana Marshall explains why.

Shana Marshall • 11 min read

MER Article

Jordan's Military-Industrial Complex and the Middle East's New Model Army

Raise the subject of Arab military-industrial production and the country that springs to mind is Egypt. A historian might recall Iraq’s early arms industry; a Gulf analyst might think of the weapons development projects being financed by the United Arab Emirates. Few would think of Jordan. But accor

Shana Marshall • 12 min read

MER Article

Egypt's Generals and Transnational Capital

Before and after the ejection of Husni Mubarak from office, the size of the Egyptian army’s share in the economy has been a subject of great debate. The army is known to manufacture everything from olive oil and shoe polish to the voting booths used in Egypt’s 2011

Joshua Stacher, Shana Marshall • 19 min read