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U.S.-Muslim World Rela- Director Tions Included Such Luminaries As Former CENTCOM Commander Admiral William J THE BROOKINGS PROJEC T ON U.S. RELA T IONS W I T H T HE ISLA M IC WORL D DOHA DISCUSSION PAPERS A ST RA T EGIC LOOK A T U.S.-MUSLI M WORL D RELA T IONS 2008 U.S.-ISLAMIC WORLD FORUM CONVENER : Security Task Force Peter W. Singer THE BROOKINGS INS T I T U T ION WI T H CON T RI B U T IONS B Y : 1775 MASSACHUSE tt S AVE ., NW WASHING T ON , D.C. 20036-2103 M.J. Akbar www.brookings.edu at BROOKINGS Kurt M. Campbell THE BROOKINGS PROJEC T ON U.S. RELA T IONS WI T H T HE ISLAMIC WORLD DOHA DISCUSSION PAPERS A ST RA T EGIC LOOK A T U.S.-MU SLIM WORLD RELA T IONS 2008 U.S.-ISLAMIC CONVENER : WORLD FORUM Security Task Force Peter W. Singer WI T H CON T RI but IONS B Y : M.J. Akbar at BROOKINGS Kurt M. Campbell THE DOHA DISC U SSION PA P ERS provide testament to the opportu- nity for renewed dialogue between the United States and the Muslim world. Written specifically for the U.S.-Islamic World Forum’s three task forces, they have been edited and compiled into separate volumes on Governance, Human Development and Social Change, and Secu- rity. The Doha Discussion Papers bring together the major papers and responses that frame each of the task force discussions. They include as well a summary of the off-record discussions at each of the task force sessions held at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum. TA B LE OF CON T EN T S NO T E FROM T HE CONVENERS ............................................... 4 IN T ROD U C T ION ........................................................ 5 SEC U RI T Y TASK FORCE Att ENDEES ............................................ 7 U.S. SEC U RI T Y AND T HE MU SLIM WORLD : PRESCRI pt ION FOR OVEREX T ENSION (CAM pb ELL ) . 9 THE AXIS OF EQ U ALS AND T HE ARC OF TU R bu LENCE : LOOMING CHANGES IN T HE SEC U RI T Y RELA T IONSHI P B E T WEEN T HE UNI T ED ST A T ES AND T HE MU SLIM WORLD (AK B AR )............................. 17 SEC U RI T Y TASK FORCE SU MMARY . 25 The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at BROOKINGS 1 NO T E FROM T HE CONVENERS The annual U.S.-ISLAMIC WORLD FOR U M held in Doha, Qatar, brings together key leaders in the fields of politics, business, media, academia, and civil society from across the Muslim world and the United States. The Forum seeks to address the critical issues dividing the United States and the Muslim world by providing a unique platform for frank dialogue, learning, and the develop- ment of positive partnerships between key leaders and opinion shapers from both sides. It includes plenary sessions, smaller task force discussions focused on key thematic issues like governance, human development, and security, and initiative workshops that bring practitioners from similar fields together to identify concrete actions they might jointly undertake. STEERING COMMITTEE The theme of this year’s Forum was “New Directions,” as 2008 presents, for both the United States and the Muslim world, an opportunity to chart a new path in their relationship. Opened by H.E. HADY AMR Director Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar, Brookings Doha Center the Forum featured keynote addresses by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, and U.N. Ambassador Zalmay STEPHEN R. GRAND Khalilzad. Plenary sessions focusing on various aspects of the future of U.S.-Muslim world rela- Director tions included such luminaries as former CENTCOM commander Admiral William J. Fallon, Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World Chairperson of the African Union Commission Alpha Oumar Konaré, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat, Egyptian televangelist Amr Khaled, Muhammadiyah chairman M. Din Syamsuddin, MartiN INDYK Time columnist Joe Klein, former Palestinian Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr, Senator Evan Bayh Director (D-Indiana), former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, former Assistant Secretary of State Saban Center at Brookings Susan Rice, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Rodman. CARLOS E. PASCUAL Director, Foreign At this year’s Forum, we detected a marked change in tone from previous years—a sense that with Policy Studies The Brookings Institution the upcoming change in U.S. administrations and new political developments on a number of fronts, there was an opportunity for both the United States and the Muslim world to turn the page BRUCE RIEDEL and write a new chapter in our mutual relations. Senior Fellow Saban Center at Brookings On behalf of the entire Saban Center at Brookings, we would like to express our deep appreciation to H.R.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, for making it pos- PETER W. SINGER sible to convene this assemblage of leaders from across the Muslim world and the United States. We Senior Fellow, Director 21st Century are also appreciative of the support and participation of H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Defense Initiative Al-Thani. Thanks goes as well to H.E. Mohammed Abdullah Mutib Al-Rumaihi, Foreign Minis- ter’s Assistant for Follow Up Affairs; Abdulla Rahman Fakroo, Executive Director of the Permanent SHIBLEY TELHAMI Committee for Organizing Conferences; Malik Esufji, Director of Protocol, and the entire Ministry Anwar Sadat Chair of Foreign Affairs staff for their roles in ensuring the successful planning and operation of the meet- University of Maryland ing. Finally, we would like to thank Hady Amr, Peter W. Singer and Shibley Telhami for convening the Task Forces, as well as Aysha Chowdhry for her hard work in editing these volumes. Sincerely, Ambassador Martin Indyk Dr. Stephen R. Grand Director Fellow and Director Saban Center at Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at BROOKINGS 3 IN T ROD U C T ION The U.S.-IS LAM I C WORLD FOR U M is a global con- In the following sections are the result of their analysis. It ference held in Doha, Qatar. Since 2004, it has brought is interesting and informative to examine the parallels in together key leaders in the fields of politics, business, how these two leaders answered the same set of questions media, academia, and civil society from across the Mus- from their own perspectives, as well as the divergences in lim world and the United States. Its goal was to address some of their conclusions. the critical issues dividing the United States and the Muslim world by providing a unique platform for frank Using the papers as a baseline for discussion, the Forum dialogue, learning, and the development of positive part- then assembled a diverse set of U.S. and Muslim world nerships between key leaders and opinion shapers from leaders for a focused discussion on key security issues. both sides. Those participating came from various parts of the Unit- ed States, as well as Muslim states and communities in The issue of security, how it is mutually defined and per- Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. ceived, is perhaps the most critical issue to current rela- They included academics, politicians, journalists, gener- tions between the United States and Muslims states and als, business leaders, civil society organizers, and advisors communities and their future. Thus, as part of the goals to each of the major 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns. of the overall Forum, a task force was convened to ex- amine and convene dialogue on critical issues of security Over the course of two days, we examined a range of and how they affect the relationship between the United important issues, including the status of strategic rela- States and the broader Muslim world. tions between the United States and Muslim states and communities, the security situation in the Gulf, and the The first part of the effort was to examine our mutu- status of the so-called “war on terrorism.” The sessions al perceptions on security, where they are aligned and were held in a not-for-attribution setting to emphasize where they are different. Two leading thinkers from the frank and open dialogue. Included is a summary of their United States and the Muslim world were commissioned discussions. to author short papers that would “set the scene” for dis- cussions. M.J. Akbar and Kurt Campbell are not only The goal of the task force was not to come to some type influential opinion leaders, whom leaders on both sides of mutual agreement or unanimous concord on what are of the divide consult for policy advice, but also analysts obviously thorny issues. Rather, it was for each of the widely admired for their thoughtfulness. leaders to leave the experience with a better understand- ing of the issues and, more importantly, each others’ The two authors were each asked to examine the same perspectives on them. Ideally, the following papers and set of questions: report will forward that goal beyond. It is only through building bridges of understanding that we will be able to • What were the major trends and events over the recognize and reach our common goals. last year that shaped security and perceptions of security between the United States and Muslim — Peter W. Singer world? Director, 21st Century Defense • What do these trends and events project for the Initiative at Brookings next 1-5 years? • What are the key challenges and important events that we should prepare for over the next 1-5 years? The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at BROOKINGS 5 SEC U RI T Y TASK FORCE Att ENDEES CHAIR PE T ER W.
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