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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.