U.A.E. willing to act as part of a collective effort to combat emerging threats, airstrikes against ISIL not enough : Gargash

Abu Dhabi (WAM): The United Arab Emirates, U.A.E., has re-affirmed willingness to act as part of a collective effort to combat emerging threats and extremism, and emphasised that there is an "urgent need" to enhance common of understanding and regional and global challenges and to align strategic thinking to check emerging threats. U.A.E. also emphasised that while international airstrikes play an important role in checking the advance of Daesh ISIL, "ultimately these cannot be enough on their own." "Although military operations and intelligence cooperation will form an important part of these efforts, it is crucial that our cooperation extends to other areas as well. Foremost is our ability to stitch together political conditions on the ground in order to consolidate military gains. Naturally, other measures will include financial controls, immigration, and cultural and educational measures. U.A.E. is willing to cooperate with its partners in all aspects of these efforts," said Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, U.A.E. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in his keynote speech at the opening of the inaugural forum of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, hosted by the Emirates Policy Centre in Abu Dhabi. "Nowhere is this more the case than here in the Middle East, where regional peace and stability are once more under threat," Minister Gargash said, adding that the sheer number of challenges the region is facing is unprecedented." Minister Gargash cited the sectarian warfare in Syria and Iraq, triggered by repressive governance; the rapid rise of Dae'sh (ISIL), fuelled by foreign fighters from around the world; militia violence and state failure in Libya; attacks on Yemen’s sovereignty by foreign-financed Houthi rebels; and the recent violence in Gaza and Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestine. "In the face of these threats, there is a clear need for increased dialogue and coordinated action. U.A.E. is conscious of its regional responsibilities and is willing to act as part of a collective effort," the U.A.E. minister said insisting that none of these challenges can be tackled by regional actors alone. Instead, they require a concerted response, informed by a comprehensive strategy, employing a broad range of tools. On Syria, the U.A.E. minister said the failure of the international community to act early on in Syria allowed the situation to descend further and further into chaos. "Urgent international action is now needed in order to strengthen moderate actors, and to provide them with the tools to fight extremism and intolerance." "While international airstrikes play an important role in checking the advances of Daesh, ultimately these cannot be enough on their own." (http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395271080288.html) The following is the full text of the keynote speech of Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, U.A.E. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the opening of the inaugural forum of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, hosted by Emirates Policy Centre. "Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, Emirates Policy Centre. Abu Dhabi, 19 October 2014 Speaking Notes for HE Dr. Anwar Gargash Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Abu Dhabi. It’s a great pleasure for me to open the inaugural forum of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, hosted by the Emirates Policy Centre. In these troubled times, there is an urgent need to enhance our common understanding of regional and global challenges and to align our strategic thinking to check emerging threats. Nowhere is this more the case than here in the Middle East, where regional peace and stability are once more under threat. The sheer number of challenges we are facing today is unprecedented: Sectarian warfare in Syria and Iraq, triggered by repressive governance; The rapid rise of Daesh, fuelled by foreign fighters from around the world; Militia violence and state failure in Libya; Attacks on Yemen’s sovereignty by foreign-financed Houthi rebels; The recent violence in Gaza and Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestine. In the face of these threats, there is a clear need for increased dialogue and coordinated action. The U.A.E. is conscious of its regional responsibilities and is willing to act as part of a collective effort. None of these challenges can be tackled by regional actors alone. Instead, they require a concerted response, informed by a comprehensive strategy, employing a broad range of tools. It is essential that we see the strategic picture in the current complicated debris. We need to discern the values that need to be protected and successfully championed; values such as national identity, stability, and an open-minded approach towards how societies and states should be governed. We must reject instability borne out of sectarianism and an outmoded and regressive view of religion. This strategic outlook, underpinned by values, must be ever present in dealing with the current turmoil. Without this clarity of vision, many of our actions and collective efforts will seem aimless and ineffective. The broad scope and high-level attendance of today’s conference are testimony to the urgent need for more coordinated action, based on a comprehensive strategy. Before you engage in today’s discussions, allow me to highlight some central areas of concern for the U.A.E. in the region that are crucial to the current situation. Extremism: Over the past few years, the U.A.E. has repeatedly warned about the growing threat that extremist actors and ideologies pose to our region. While some of our allies thought that we were being too alarmist, the rise of Daesh confirms the magnitude of the threat. Instead of becoming moderated through engagement, so-called "moderate Islamists" are increasingly being drafted into the ranks of radical groups. This demonstrates the fallacy of trying to distinguish between "moderate" and "radical" forms of ideological extremism. Make no mistake: many of these movements that are described as ‘moderate’ in some lexicons, provide the environment for greater radicalisation and the emergence of groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh. Therefore, countering the threat posed by these groups requires a clear-sighted and comprehensive strategy. On the one hand, we need to acknowledge that these actors and their radical ideologies by their nature, cannot be moderated, manipulated, or contained. They are fundamentally opposed to the tolerant values and moderate agenda that unites us in the U.A.E. with many of our international partners. To check them, we need to maintain a common front. We cannot fight extremism in one place while attempting to appease it in another for the sake of political expediency. That is why a strategic and intellectual framework on what constitutes extremism, and how best to tackle it, is required. Combatting extremism requires a broad range of tools and a sustained effort by the international community. Although military operations and intelligence cooperation will form an important part of these efforts, it is crucial that our cooperation extends to other areas as well. Foremost is our ability to stitch together political conditions on the ground in order to consolidate military gains. Naturally, other measures will include financial controls, immigration, and cultural and educational measures. The U.A.E. is willing to cooperate with its partners in all aspects of these efforts. Syria & Iraq: The ongoing instability in Syria and Iraq concerns us all. Sectarian violence and ideology are increasingly spreading beyond the borders of both countries and affecting their neighbours. The millions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees represent an excruciating economic burden on neighbouring countries and a threat to political stability. Moreover, both conflicts have attracted external factors that are cynically exploiting the situation on the ground in order to widen their area of influence. However, the drivers of instability in Syria and Iraq go well beyond the current challenge posed by Daesh and other extremist groups. At the root of the problem are the exclusionist and sectarian policies adopted by respective governments, preparing the ground for extremist actors. In Iraq, the formation of a new unity government, as well as yesterday’s long awaited appointment of a new defence minister, have given reason for cautious hope. I have to however, refer to the recent and uncalled for statement by Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi in his comments on the previous statement by US Vice-President Joseph Biden. His comments have unfortunately undermined the willingness of many countries in the Gulf to turn the page following the sectarian and exclusionist government of Nouri Al Maliki. Considering the importance and priority of creating a national and equitable government in Baghdad, the Prime Minister’s statement produced grievous doubts to an already difficult enterprise. The failure of the international community to act early on in Syria allowed the situation to descend further and further into chaos. Urgent international action is now needed in order to strengthen moderate actors, and to provide them with the tools to fight extremism and intolerance. While international airstrikes play an important role in checking the advances of Daesh, ultimately these cannot be enough on their own. Egypt: In our assessment, any strategy designed to bring peace, stability and moderation to the Arab world requires success in Egypt. After years of instability, Egypt is at last returning to security and development, and is on its way to resuming its historic and necessary place at the centre of the Arab world. This is of central importance for our entire region. A stable and moderate Egypt is a cornerstone of regional stability, and a barrier to the spread of extremism. However, as long as Egypt’s economy remains fragile, it is important that the international community extends every possible means of support to the Egyptian government to prevent the country from backsliding into chaos and instability. The U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia have shouldered a large share of the burden of responsibility when it comes to supporting economic developments in Egypt. If we have learned anything in recent years, it is that jobs and growth are the most effective safeguards against radical ideologies and sectarian hatred. In order to ensure a stable Egypt in a stable Middle East, it is crucial that the international community follows our path by providing greater support to the Egyptian government and by respecting Egypt’s sovereign rights to deal with terrorism and disturbances on its territory in an even-handed manner. Iran: The GCC and Iran share a common neighbourhood, for which we have a joint responsibility. In this respect, the U.A.E. welcomes the nuclear negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran. However, we consider it crucial that any future agreement with Iran on the nuclear file is airtight. Failure to conclude a solid agreement that prevents nuclear proliferation could have serious consequences – not only in our region, but far beyond, by undermining the non-proliferation regime. Furthermore, I very much agree with Prince Saud Al Faisal’s recent comments in his press conference with the German Foreign Minister. In these comments, he recognised the difference between Iran as state-and-society and Iran as an expansionist and aggressive foreign policy. The first, we welcome and consider a worthy historical and geographical neighbour with whom we see continued cooperation. However, the continued expansionism of Iranian influence in the Arab world poses a major problem in GCC-Iran relations, as well as Arab-Iranian relations more broadly. The list is long and includes Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and most recently and dramatically, Yemen. The fact that this foreign policy is inherently sectarian further exacerbates the tension in the region. An Arab-Iranian cooperative and comfortable relationship will very much depend on non-interference, respect for national entities, and sovereignty of national politics. Ladies and Gentlemen, we in the U.A.E. are proud of having built a model of tolerance and moderation in a region that has too often been driven by extremes. Due to the foresight of our leaders, our society has managed to undergo massive changes without sparking the same kind of violence that has affected other societies. We are proud of this achievement and of providing inspiration in a region where good news and good practices are few and far apart. However, we are also conscious that we are not an island unto ourselves in our turbulent region. We are clear sighted and have no ambitions to play a much larger role regionally. Our foreign policy during this difficult period will continue to support the forces of moderation, stability, and openness. It will reject attempts to reshape our world along sectarian and extremist lines. This is why the U.A.E. is willing to shoulder responsibilities, together with our partners, to promote stability, moderation, and economic dynamism. To do so, we will require a common strategic vision and shared plan of action. With that end in mind, I am looking forward to a frank and open discussion. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395271089351.html