U.A.E. researcher: International campaign must have a common vision to combat terrorism

Abu Dhabi (WAM): To succeed in defeating Daesh (ISIS), all parties involved in the international campaign must have a common vision to combat terrorism, a U.A.E. researcher said on Sunday. 'It is impossible to succeed in eliminating Daesh without eradicating the breeding grounds, which have produced this phenomenon. We must also fight the likes of Daesh in the region regardless of its doctrine. Some countries cannot claim its desire to fight Daesh, while its behaviour in the region motivates the survival of the group, and produces similar groups under different banners, while it adopts a doctrinal geopolitical project that makes some societies accept the likes of Daesh, only to preserve their existence,'' Director of Emirates Policy Centre (EPC) Dr Ebtisam Al Qutbi, said on Sunday in her opening speech to the First Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD) at the Emirates Palace. ''The international campaign against Daesh is an asymmetrical war, which is one of the most important challenges facing the international coalition. In addition, Daesh and similar groups of non-state actors have become a tool in the struggle, in most "hot spots", with interests and objectives entwined with the interests and objectives of regional and international powers,'' she told the two-day forum which draws an elite of politicians, decision-makers, intellectuals and experts from the GCC, Arab and western countries and organised by the EPC in partnership with the U.A.E. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this context, she warned ''we must think about the dangers of the day after the fall of Daesh. This fall will lead to the dispersal of fighters who are out of control; thus, posing regional and international security threats.'' She noted that the current World order is going through a fluid state, which has been evident in a number of developments, most notable of them are :an increased level of instability in the current world order; the changing nature of the driving factors of struggles and disputes in world order, which are no longer economic only, but cultural, religious and sectarian as well; the rise of the minorities factor which threatens many countries with the emergence of separatist movements or calls for independence; and the increasing role of non-state actors and their entwined role with the interests and objectives of regional and international powers. Regionally, she added because Gulf States are located in a geostrategic environment where international interests merge, they face the determining factors for change in world order in the next 20 years, notably: the ability to reengineer coalitions with both old and rising powers; competition over regional roles; energy and its alternatives; the economic model; regional stability; race for new living spaces; and the security of waterways and straits. The mutual state of attrition between regional powers, she continued, will not pave the way for the rise of a stable regional order; instead, it might change the landscape in a way that any future regional order will be doomed to fail. ''The U.A.E. has introduced a positive model, which has the elements of power through transparency and cooperation with the international community, not by challenging and destabilising it. This model contributes in shaping a regional order based on cooperation and mutual interests to achieve regional security,'' she said. ''The U.A.E. hosts more than 200 nationalities that all live in an environment of tolerance and coexistence. This reflects the country’s vision of how the world should be. The U.A.E. model has offered a microcosmic world that proves the possibility of coexistence according to the rule of mutual benefits and everyone’s right to be different.'' ''To succeed in our efforts to build a regional order based on cooperation and preserving collective security, we must agree that the dangers of the status quo outweigh the benefits. Therefore, new rules must be designed and agreed upon by all to end clashes between the security visions of regional and international powers. ''Furthermore, we must look for common denominators that may enhance cooperation, contribute in building regional and world orders with less clashes and wars and give a priority to construction and development in the region by adopting a model for economic integration among its nations and peoples to make this region part of the foundations of global stability,'' she indicated. Following is the full text of Al Qutbi's opening speech : I would like to welcome and thank all of you for your participation. Since day one, the objective of Emirates Policy Centre (EPC) was to establish a think tank able to build bridges amongst research, academic and decision-making elites, provide consultations, and suggest policies that support decision-makers. Presently there are several research centres in the region. However, replicating one of them is not longstanding, because we do not deal with the international and regional landscapes as part of academic studies; which are disconnected from reality, or that are unable to turn these studies into policies that support decision-makers in their interaction with events and developments. EPC is an independent think tank with an interest that mainly focuses on the United Arab Emirates and its foreign relations, as well as the Arabian Gulf region and its regional and international interactions. The Centre undertakes the task of foreseeing the future of the region, regional and international policy trends and the impact of different geopolitical projects on the region. We, elites and decision-makers, meet today in the First Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD) to fulfil the following objectives: - Reach a better understanding amongst international and regional actors, as well as enhance efforts of policy-making amongst them; - highlight the regional and international landscapes; - understanding and explaining the international relations and developments. In organising ADSD and selecting its themes, EPC acts out of the conviction that GCC states with their strategic depth, are not recipients of regional and international powers’ impact only, but are regional and international actors as well. The current World order is going through a fluid state, which has been evident in a number of developments such as: - An increased level of instability in the current world order; - The changing nature of the driving factors of struggles and disputes in world order, which are no longer economic only, but cultural, religious and sectarian as well; - The rise of the minorities factor which threatens many countries with the emergence of separatist movements or calls for independence; - The increasing role of non-state actors and their entwined role with the interests and objectives of regional and international powers. The following are three theoretical models, which have prevailed and explain the post-Cold War world order: a. Unipolar; b. Multipolar; c. Chaos and imbalance. However, those models were unable to explain the rules and motion of the current world order, which calls for a new and realistic interpretation of the nature of international relations. EPC aspires to contribute in reaching such interpretation and hopes that this Debate will be the right step in this direction. Because Gulf States are located in a geostrategic environment where international interests merge, they face the determining factors for change in world order in the next 20 years, notably: - The ability to reengineer coalitions with both old and rising powers; - Competition over regional roles; - Energy and its alternatives; - The economic model; - Regional stability; - Race for new living spaces; - The security of waterways and straits. As the unipolar concept in world order went through changes, the regional order in the Gulf and the Middle East also, did not endure the idea of regional unipolarity or even the concept of a regional superpower. This was evident in the wake of revolutions in some Arab countries, the ensuing conflicts of geopolitical plans in the region, the decline of some of these countries’ power and rearrangement of priorities by other countries. Therefore, all powers, which tried to impose themselves as leading regional powers, have failed and their endeavours led to the escalation of struggles and instability in the region. The following landmarks distinguish the regional landscape of Arab countries: First, the overlapping of Arab revolutions with international developments and geopolitical plans; Second, the changing outlook as a result of the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the European imperialistic plans (Sykes-Picot); Third, the rise of some regional powers, such as Iran and Turkey, as influential internal actors with an impact on the region’s crises and balances; Fourth, the region is witnessing a long sectarian war, which is not likely to end soon; Fifth, the deep impact of religious extremism during political transition in countries, which have witnessed revolutions. Due to the lack of a regional order recognised by countries in the region, GCC states, including U.A.E., have sought to establish an organisation for regional cooperation and security like the Helsinki Agreement, which has organised relations among European countries. We think that GCC countries are the most inclined in the region to accept such an agreement, but there are obstacles facing the emergence of such regional organisation, notably: - Some countries in the region insist on adopting a revolutionary project that does not respect the principle of state sovereignty; - Some countries are going through a state of instability and have turned into a field for proxy wars between regional and international geopolitical projects. The mutual state of attrition between regional powers will not pave the way for the rise of a stable regional order; instead, it might change the landscape in a way that any future regional order will be doomed to fail. The U.A.E. has introduced a positive model, which has the elements of power through transparency and cooperation with the international community, not by challenging and destabilising it. This model contributes in shaping a regional order based on cooperation and mutual interests to achieve regional security. The U.A.E. hosts more than 200 nationalities that all live in an environment of tolerance and coexistence. This reflects the country’s vision of how the world should be. The U.A.E. model has offered a microcosmic world that proves the possibility of coexistence according to the rule of mutual benefits and everyone’s right to be different. The following are the most important achievements of this model: - Adopting a vision for comprehensive development; - Diversifying the economic base; - Trade exchange with all countries in the region and the world; - A peaceful and transparent nuclear energy program in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); - A project for space sciences; - An advanced oil industry. - A regional and international political and humanitarian dynamic to cement the foundations of peace and contain the repercussions of crises and natural disasters. For instance, the U.A.E. has donated Dh 9 billion to fight poverty in the world. To succeed in our efforts to build a regional order based on cooperation and preserving collective security, we must agree that the dangers of the status quo outweigh the benefits. Therefore, new rules must be designed and agreed upon by all to end clashes between the security visions of regional and international powers. Furthermore, we must look for common denominators that may enhance cooperation, contribute in building regional and world orders with less clashes and wars and give a priority to construction and development in the region by adopting a model for economic integration among its nations and peoples to make this region part of the foundations of global stability. We meet today while the world is engaged in a campaign against Daesh ISIS, with a difficulty to predict the results of such a campaign. This meeting takes place at a time where some countries in the region are facing the possibility of disintegration, such as Yemen. To succeed in defeating Daesh, all parties involved in the international campaign must have a common vision to combat terrorism. It is impossible to succeed in eliminating Daesh, without eradicating the breeding grounds, which have produced this phenomenon. We must also fight the likes of Daesh in the region regardless of its doctrine. Some countries cannot claim its desire to fight Daesh, while its behaviour in the region motivates the survival of the group, and produces similar groups under different banners, while it adopts a doctrinal geopolitical project that makes some societies accept the likes of Daesh, only to preserve their existence. The international campaign against Daesh is an asymmetrical war, which is one of the most important challenges facing the international coalition. In addition, Daesh and similar groups of non-state actors have become a tool in the struggle, in most "hot spots", with interests and objectives entwined with the interests and objectives of regional and international powers. In this context, we must think about the dangers of the day after the fall of Daesh. This fall will lead to the dispersal of fighters who are out of control; thus, posing regional and international security threats. Once again, I would like to reiterate that EPC is holding the First ADSD to bring together such this distinguished participants to foresee the future of the world and the region and contribute to the enhancement of a common awareness among world and regional actors about the risks and opportunities resulting from transformations in world order; thus, bolstering policy-making efforts amongst those actors to minimise costs and maximise benefits. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395271090406.html