IISS Newsletter December 2015

Page 1

IISS news IISS Manama Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Defence and Military Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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IISS–Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Geo-economics and Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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Key Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Future Conflict and Cyber Security . . . . . . . . . . 18

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South Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Non-Proliferation and Disarmament . . . . . . . . . 19

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Security and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

IISS–US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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IISS–Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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December 2015

The 11th IISS Manama Dialogue 2015

Riyadh Yaseen, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yemen; Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Secretary General, Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf; Helen Clark, Administrator, UN Development Programme; Dr Taïeb Baccouche, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tunisia; Fadila Souissi, Presenter, Sky News Arabia

The 2015 IISS Manama Dialogue, in common with

The debate opened with the question of how

For the Foreign Minister of Yemen, Riyadh

the 2013 and 2014 Dialogues, opened with a panel

to tackle extremism more effectively, consider-

Yaseen, the current problems in his country stem

debate moderated and televised by Sky News

ing that much effort has already been expended,

from a former head of state, an internal rebellion,

Arabia. The 2015 theme was ‘Extremism, Stability,

seemingly with little to show for it. The Secretary

and the involvement of an external power, Iran.

and Development: the future of the Middle East’.

General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),

He also argued that extremism now has taken on a

It brought together some familiar regional themes

Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, insisted that what is hap-

different form from previous years, and compared

concerning the causes of the extremism and insta-

pening does not reflect the will of the people of

to the challenges posed by al-Qaeda and Hizbul-

bility prevalent across the Middle East, but also

the region. He introduced what was to become a

lah, with new groups wanting to become major

explored the possibilities and challenges of a new,

broad theme in the discussion, that intervention

players. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia,

more holistic, approach to tackling them. The three

from outside – and in particular the 2003 invasion

Dr Taïeb Baccouche, focused on the intervention

Arab participants brought their different perspec-

of Iraq and its aftermath – had created a vacuum

in Libya as the catalyst for the problems in Tuni-

tives from across the region, while the former New

in which extremism had developed. Dr Al Zayani

sia’s neighbourhood, and the collapse of a central

Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, now the

insisted that the persistence of the Israeli–Pales-

authority there. Dr Baccouche argued that new

Administrator of the United Nations Development

tinian problem remained a key driver of extrem-

institutions need to be fostered quickly in Libya

Programme (UNDP), explored both the opportuni-

ism and had to be addressed. He also argued that

and elsewhere, or there will be growing extremist

ties and potential problems arising from a develop-

extremism is not just a problem of Muslim youth

alliances through Africa involving groups such as

mental approach to dealing with the crises across

contained within the region, but is now present

Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, with repercussions

the Middle East.

across all regions.

throughout the region and in Europe.


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