Synopsis: The work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in military construction in the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East created the infrastructure that made the U.S. policies of deterrence and containment possible. This work included not only construction in support of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force in these areas but also work executed on behalf of Middle East allies paid for with funds they provided. This book traces the activities of American military engineers from the reconstruction that began in Greece after World War II through the construction of air bases in North Africa, the massive building program in Saudi Arabia, and support for the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. The history provides a background of the present role and position of the United States in that vital region.

CMH Pub 45-2-1. U.S. Army in the Cold War. Traces the activities of American military engineers from the reconstruction that began in Greece after World War II through the construction of air bases in North Africa, the massive building program in Saudi Arabia, and support for the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. The history provides a background of the present role and position of the United States in that vital region.

Building Air Bases in the Negev is a remarkable story of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' role supporting national diplomatic initiatives overseas while managing a major construction project in Israel. Frank N. Schubert has written a superbly organized account, tracing from the spring of 1979 to the summer of 1982 the development and completion of two ultramodern air bases at a cost that only exceeded original estimates by less than 3 percent. As Schubert suggests, the air base program helped bring peace between two long-term antagonists--Israel and Egypt. Schubert's work serves as an important case study for analyzing not only engineering project management and construction practices but also demanding sociopolitical, cultural, and business conditions in sovereign foreign lands.