will indicate that it is scarcely large enough for use in big classes ... forms of secondary schools. New Contour Map of the Near and Middle East (The Land of the Five Seas).

Will Syria be different? If you have a mental map of the Middle East, rip it up. The overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria by a coalition of Islamist fighters changes everything.

The U.S. military also uses large bases in Djibouti and Turkey, which are part of other regional commands but often contribute significantly to U.S. operations in the Middle East.