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NATO and the Greater Middle East: a Challenge for Multilateral Dialogue and a Need for a Public Diplomacy Function

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NATO and the Greater Middle East: a Challenge for Multilateral Dialogue and a Need for a Public Diplomacy Function NATO and the Greater Middle East: a challenge for multilateral dialogue and a need for a public diplomacy function Donatella Scatamacchia (Edited by J. Lindsay Kellock) Since the end of its role as a collective Euro- (ICI): which includes four of the six Gulf centric defense alliance during the years of Cooperation Council member states, i.e. bi-polar confrontation, the North Atlantic Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Treaty Organization has sought an identity Emirates. In each, the geopolitical context, that will guarantee its future survival. The the era and the premises of each diverge. organization’s new objective is to transform, through global cooperation, from a collective The Mediterranean Dialogue defense organization to a collective security The Mediterranean Dialogue was established organization. in the post-Cold-War era, when the Transatlantic Alliance faced two main issues. Now that NATO has evolved to become a First, in the Mediterranean region, it must global security provider, the traditional lines meet the challenge to define a new of security, deterrence, defense and stability framework for coalition making, given that creation have blurred. NATO must re-define the previous framework had been defined by its role in an international security the Soviet threat. NATO’s main objective was environment, while ensuring positive support to build a framework on a shared for the objectives arising from its New understanding of threats, to pave the way to Strategic Concept. The focus will highlight global cooperation. Accordingly, NATO NATO’s role in the Mediterranean and in the sought to avoid new polarizations, while Middle East. In the specific context of the seeking cooperation between former Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the adversaries. This was done through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), the creation of new country-to-country Strategic Concept would focus on NATO’s relationships, both in co-operative role in the Greater Middle East and a policy relationships, such as in the case of the based on common threats and shared Partnerships for Peace, and in the interests. Such a policy would require public establishment of special relationships that diplomacy action in both initiatives. In the will serve to export stability to new member Greater Middle East, NATO is engaged in two countries. partnerships: the first, in the fourteen-year- old Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), which The second issue relates to a realistic includes Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, recognition of certain features of the Mauritania and Tunisia, and second, in the Mediterranean geopolitical region and the six-year-old Istanbul Cooperation Initiative growth of its importance in terms of security. As an area “in the middle of land”, still known focused on such topics as defence reform, as the cradle of civilisation, it was also viewed interoperability, the fight against terrorism, as a geo-political unitary region. However, intelligence-sharing, limitation of the following the end of the Cold War, new proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, challenges for the States arose from the birth monitoring and assistance with border of a new global order. A resulting “fluidity” in security, and assistance with civil emergency the Mediterranean is reflected in a variety of planning. problems. These have caused a level of instability and insecurity that call for a re- NATO also sought to create strong ties with evaluation of the region as a security priority. the Countries of the Middle East, based on Numerous factors can explain why and in reciprocal trust and cooperation. However, what ways the Mediterranean matters to despite the similarity of its objectives for NATO. These include: the unresolved both regions, that is, to promote governance Palestine-Israeli conflict; uncontrolled and regional security, it is important to note immigration from North Africa into European that the MD and the ICI exist in separate Union (EU); illegal drug and arms trafficking; geopolitical contexts, and that these differ in the risk of proliferation of weapons of mass many respects. The MD offers a choice destruction and the importance of between multilateral and bilateral Mediterranean transit points. All are critical approaches; the ICI offers only a bilateral to the energy security of the West and to the approach, despite the multilateral dimension general stability of maritime trade routes. of the partnerships. These factors have led NATO to change its approach to the region’s security needs and Since the creation of the MD, the Countries of to acknowledge the Mediterranean aggregate the south shore of the Mediterranean Sea and as a principal framework in which to test NATO have increased the number of their owner unity and efficiency. joint activities. Today, these activities cover a number of areas of cooperation, from The Istanbul Initiative ordinary military contact through exchanges The Mediterranean Dialogue, established of information on maritime security and anti- within the context of a shift in international terrorism, and access to educational relations, and a moderately peaceful political programs provided by Alliance institutions, to climate, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative joint crisis management exercises. (ICI) began in a climate of acute tension, created by military interventions in As for the ICI, its aim is to cooperate in Afghanistan and Iraq and a intensifying defined technical areas, rather than to Iranian nuclear crisis. establish a dialogue between civilizations. Nevertheless, there is an expanding dialogue, Through the ICI, the Alliance tried to allay the although the actual number of activities fears of the Gulf oil monarchies that NATO remains below that of the MD. If progress in had undue influence over the region. They practical and bilateral cooperation has also established bilateral cooperation, already been achieved in both the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul effective consultation, more focused activities Cooperation Initiative, the same positive and an individuated approach to cooperation. achievements are relatively lacking in the The decision to intensify the political multilateral dimension of the Mediterranean discussion has led to the upgrading of the Dialogue . Dialogue in Partnership (DP) established at From this point of view and in the light of the the Istanbul Summit, in June 2004. New Strategic Concept, I think that the Essentially, this upgrading has enhanced implementation of real political discussion communication, through meetings at within the MD and the establishment of a ambassadorial level and through the multilateral approach within the ICI could organization of ad hoc meetings at the enhance the communication and cooperation ministerial level. The results include the of the partnerships. The promotion of intensification of the confidence-building multilateral cooperation within the ICI could process. However, many of the problems of facilitate the inclusion of a political the Mediterranean Partners are domestic, dimension in relations between the West and such as lack of legitimacy, religious the Gulf States and form the first step in a radicalism and economic problems. graduated strategy to resolve the major Confidence-building instruments alone difficulties of the partnership. cannot resolve these. Urgently needed is a real synergy within the partnership to find For example, one unresolved problem is the equilibrium between hard and soft security. absence from the Initiative of the two This synergy can be reached only via a Countries, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Their multilateral approach and political dialogue. presence, especially that of Saudi Arabia, could give the partnership sound guidance The search for common threats and shared for constructive political dialogue and, interests with NATO and the West have the consequently, sufficient critical mass to potential to facilitate implementation of the increase regional security. Indeed, the multilateral framework of the partnerships, countries of the Arabian Peninsula fear that while defining the role of NATO in North ICI progress may be made at the expense of Africa and Middle East. This could be the GCC and that NATO engagement in their complicated if we consider the following region could reduce the importance of the issues: first of all, the MD comprises GCC's political framework. The role of Saudi countries of two distinct geopolitical areas, Arabia in promoting direct communication is the Maghreb and the Mashrek. The concerns crucial, given the country’s relevant relevant to those countries are not influence. necessarily identical. The Maghreb issues include economic development and civil As for relations with the MD, it would be society, while the Mashrek focuses on helpful were NATO toimplement its political issues and the Arab-Israeli peace multilateral dimension with concrete action. process. Secondly, at multilateral level there Following 9/11, various measures have been exists misunderstanding on issues relevant to adopted to promote more regular and Mediterranean region, to NATO member states and above all, to European members western Countries, their political support at and the United States of America (USA). In NATO is limited by the negative perception of any case, only a multilateral format for both the masses and the élite. This situation leads the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul the Arab governments to adopt, in their Cooperation Initiative will progress towards policies and declarations, an
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