Transcript Contemporary ME Regional Arrangements in the US Grand Strategy

Contemporary ME regional arrangements
in the US Grand Strategy towards the region.
Engy M. Tawfeik
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Economics and Political Science
Cairo University
Outline:
• Research Problem.. Sub questions
• Methodology
• Indicators
• Interests
• Policy Options
Research Problem:
How the United States perceive
arrangements in the Middle East ?
the
regional
&
How does that affect its vision of the American role in
the region ?
Sub Questions:
1. What is the United States Grand Strategy in the ME?
2. What is the regional powers perception of the US strategy in
the region?
3. How the regional powers react towards various regional
challenges?
4. Are there new international actors in the ME? What are their
roles, and how that affect the regional arrangements?
Methodology:
The Causal Relationship between :
Practice and Interaction :
Independent Variables
&
The Cognitive Structures at the level of individual
states and of systems of states constitute Identities
and Interests :
Dependent Variables
Indicators :
Challenges in the ME :
• Counter Terrorism.
• Counter Insurgency.
• Humanitarian Crisis.
• State building…Nation Building.
Operation Inherent Resolve
August 2014 - Present
Coalition of nations have conducted airstrikes in
Iraq include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France,
Jordan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the U.S. .
Coalition nations which have conducted airstrikes
in Syria include Bahrain, Canada, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the U.S. .
Statement on U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East before the House
Armed Services Committee
Delivered by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Washington, D.C.
June 17, 2015
“America’s strategy, is grounded in America’s core
national interests – that’s the foundation – tailored to
address specific circumstances in specific and various
places – Iraq, Syria, Iran, and so forth. And it leverages
American leadership with the efforts of coalition – of a
coalition of allies and partners.”
“ISIL presents a grave threat to our friends and allies in the
Middle East; elsewhere around the world from Africa and
Europe to parts of Asia because of its steady metastasis;
and to our homeland because of its avowed intentions to
strike and recruit in this country. ISIL must be – and will
be – dealt a lasting defeat”.
The success in this Campaign:
Can and must be assured.
It will take time, and require consistent effort on everyone’s part –
the entire U.S. government, our entire international coalition, and
most importantly, the Iraqi and Syrian peoples.
As of June 18, 2015, the total cost of operations
related to ISIL since kinetic operations started
on Aug. 8, 2014, is $ 2.91 billion and the average
daily cost is $ 9.2 million for 315 days of
operations.
Operation Decisive Storm (Yemen)
March 25, 2015 –April 21, 2015
Operation Restoring Hope (Yemen)
April 22, 2015 – Present
Egyptian Airstrikes in Libya
Feb. 16, 2015
Against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
positions in Libya : training camps and weapons
stockpiles in retaliation for the killings.
Warplanes acting under orders from the Libyan
government also struck targets in Derna, reportedly in
coordination with Egypt.
Arab Joint Military Force
March 29, 2015
The heads of Arab League countries meeting in Egypt Sharm el-Sheikh - have agreed to create a joint Arab
military force. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
said: "The Arab leaders have decided to agree on the
principle of a joint Arab military force.”
A high-level panel will work out the structure and
mechanism of the future force. The work is expected to
take four months.
Egyptian officials quoted by Associated Press said the
force would comprise some 40,000 elite troops, supported
by war planes, naval vessels and light armour.
It is unlikely, however, that all 22-member countries of
the often-fractious Arab League will join the proposed
force. Its creation has been a longtime goal that has
eluded Arab states in the 65 years since they signed a
rarely used joint defense agreement.
Arms Race
2014-2015
Russia confirms sale of S -300 Missile systems to Iran, May
2015.
Agreed arms sales to the top five purchasers in the region Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt and
Iraq – surge this year to more than $18bn, up from $12bn last
year. Among the systems being purchased are jet fighters,
missiles, armoured vehicles, drones and helicopters.
Interests :
The U.S. commitment to Middle East stability remains high. The
United States works to ensure energy security and stability in the Gulf
and the long-term security of Israel, while also seeking a
comprehensive agreement with Iran over its nuclear program that
prevents nuclear proliferation. The future of Syria and Iraq remain
highly uncertain, and outcomes in both countries will have a long-term
impact on the stability of the Middle East as a whole. The threat of
terrorism has grown in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and northern Mali,
where militants have allied themselves with the forces of Al Qaeda, and
U.S. counterterrorism operations continue in Yemen.
Policy Options:
How the United States assesses and approaches
these security challenges has a major impact on U.S.
foreign policy as a whole.
Positive opportunities for U.S. engagement in the
Middle East on matters related to regional security.
Thank You