PHOTO COURTESY NCUSAR
activismsr_40-64_November/December 2015 Activisms 10/28/15 2:11 PM Page 47
Prince Turki Al Faisal discusses Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. currently leading a GCC military intervention. “In Yemen, the Kingdom has succeeded in forging a coalition of the GCC countries and likeminded Arab and nonArab countries to…prevent the usurpers of power, the Houthis and the forces of the deposed president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, from forcing themselves on the Yemeni people,” he said. Turning to Iraq and Syria, Faisal called for an end to the sectarianism that is currently crippling both nations. While Faisal strongly condemned Da’ish’s sectarianism and violence, he pinned blame for the group’s emergence on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “[Da’ish] is the symptom of the disease of anarchy in Syria and Iraq,” he said. “The disease lies in Damascus, where Bashar al-Assad continues to murder his people with poison gas and barrel bombs.” Russia’s decision to initiate military operations in Syria is “a most unwelcome addition to an already combustible situation,” Faisal said, arguing that “[Russia] and the U.S. are ignoring the father of all terrorists in Syria—his name is Bashar alAssad.” On the strategic front, Faisal said Riyadh is committed to supporting its allies in the region. He hailed Tunisia for its successful elections and democratic transition, expressed optimism that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is retuning stability to Egypt, and expressed his belief that the Bahraini government has pursued valuable reforms. Addressing the principle of responsibility, Faisal said Saudi Arabia is determined to share its experience when it comes to combating terrorism, advocate for the welfare of all Muslims, continue to support Syrian refugees and attempt to mend relations with its neighbors, particularly Iran. “Saudi Arabia welcomes the opportunity for further discussion of Iran’s nuclear program and the benefits it could bring to NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
the Gulf,” Faisal said. He seemed hesitant to fully embrace dialogue with Tehran, however. “Diplomacy with Iran poses unique difficulties,” he cautioned. “The world must understand that Saudi Arabia has boundaries that cannot be crossed and loyalties that cannot be betrayed. The Kingdom cannot let the fight against [Da’ish] draw attention away from the atrocities of the Assad regime. A friend to Bashar al-Assad is an enemy of the Syrian people and to those who would help them. Unfortunately, Iran, and now Russia, have aligned themselves with Assad against the Syrian people. This is not just politically unwise, it is morally wrong….The more than 300,000 Syrian souls who perished because of Assad will continue to haunt [Ayatollah] Khamenei and [Vladimir] Putin. The one billion and a half Muslims of the world will carry that grievance forever.” —Dale Sprusansky
Panel Voices Support for Arms Deals A panel titled “U.S.-Arab Defense Cooperation” featured representatives from two major defense contractors who argued that close military-to-military relations between the U.S. and the Arab world are beneficial to all involved. According to Jeffrey B. Kohler, a former Defense Department official who currently is Boeing’s vice president of international sales and marketing for defense, space and security, weapons transfers play a central role in strengthening the bonds between nations. These transfers, he explained, often necessitate the creation of common training programs that in turn help nations develop decades-long relationships and more open and honest dialogues. Ronald L. Perrilloux, Jr., a former defense attaché to Saudi Arabia and the current director of the Middle East and Africa region for Lockheed Martin, noted the common interests shared by the U.S. and the Gulf: energy, counterterrorism and resisting Iranian influence. He complained that, despite these unifying realities, many in the U.S., and Congress in particular, are distrustful of Arab nations. This in turn, he said, has caused U.S. allies in the region to grow dissatisfied with America’s lack of appreciation for their long-time loyalty. In Perrilloux’s opinion, the U.S. has inconsistently applied its human rights laws to the detriment of Arab nations. Other countries, such as China, he argued, are not held to the same standards as those in the Arab world. He cited recent U.S. decisions to ease restrictions on the transfer of military equipment to Bahrain and Egypt THE WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
as positive developments. Christopher Blanchard, a specialist in Middle East affairs at the Congressional Research Service, said that greater dialogue, transparency and coordination is needed in the U.S.-Arab military relationship. Both sides need to be clear about their intentions, honest about their constraints and red lines, and work to develop a common strategy, he concluded.—Dale Sprusansky
The Future of the GCC NCUSAR president and CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony opened the “Gulf Cooperation Council: Role in Regional Dynamics” panel with an insightful comparison between the EU and the GCC models of regional cooperation. The EU was always a model for the GCC, he said. However, the GCC has always faced complex difficulties due to a lack of pre-existing institutions that the EU benefited from when it was founded. Yet, according to Anthony, it has still made great advancements as a regional organization. Khaled Almaeena, a Saudi journalist and founder of the NAAM organization, highlighted the diversity within GCC countries, while also noting their shared aspiration for the betterment of their peoples. Almaeena spoke passionately about the youth demographic in the GCC, sharing their calls to be stakeholders in the future of their nations. Speaking from his experiences in his native Saudi Arabia, he affirmed that young people want very basic things, including a pathway to public sector job security and the ability to establish institutions that allow their voices to be heard. Youth unemployment in the GCC is on the rise, Almaeena lamented, because citizens don’t have the necessary technical skills, leading to reliance on foreign labor. At the same time, he praised the late King Abdullah’s reforms that focused on women and youth, calling them positive changes that cannot be reversed. Dr. Richard J. Schmierer, a NCUSAR fellow and former U.S. ambassador to Oman, followed Almaeena’s remarks with a discussion on the Obama administration’s involvement with the GCC. He focused on Obama’s intent to engage with Iran since the first days of his presidency. Although most of the GCC has been critical about these developments, he believes the engagement with Iran is good for the U.S. and the region. Dr. Abdullah AlShayji, professor of international relations at Kuwait University, claimed that the GCC had been unfairly at47