Re: Merc Guild

> If all Arab states field really bad armies, I'm
> guessing there's a causation here.  I mean, the Arabs
> havn't fielded a respectable army[1] since they
> started hiring Turks to do all their heavy fighting.

> [1]Excepting colonial forces with European officers
> and/or "advisors."

The Arab Legion.  Sir John Glubb was the Pasha of that one, IIRC.

This isn't unique to the Arabs, of course.  For quite a while there,
"Italian" and "military" were two words that didn't go together.  This
is
not to say that these ethnic groups *can't* be good--obviously the
Romans
and the Arabs both conquered pretty much everything around them at one
time--just that they weren't.  I have no suggestions as to why, at the
moment.