Military - note:
Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no
resources at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating
unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and
maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years
in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in
the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as
reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being
addressed with foreign assistance as initial steps towards the
improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security
concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the
Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)

Transnational Issues Sao Tome and Principe

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

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@Saudi Arabia

Introduction Saudi Arabia

Background:
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to Islam's two
holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina, and the king's official title
is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi state was
founded in 1932 by ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman AL SAUD (Ibn Saud)
after a 30-year campaign to unify most of the Arabian Peninsula. A
male descendent of Ibn Saud, his son ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz, rules
the country today as required by the country's 1992 Basic Law.
Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted
the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western
and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait
the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on
Saudi soil after the liberation of Kuwait became a source of tension
between the royal family and the public until all operational US
troops left the country in 2003. Major terrorist attacks in May and
November 2003 spurred a strong on-going campaign against domestic
terrorism and extremism. King ABDALLAH has continued the cautious
reform program begun when he was crown prince. To promote increased
political participation, the government held elections nationwide
from February through April 2005 - for half the members of 179
municipal councils. In December 2005, King ABDALLAH completed the
process by appointing the remaining members of the