AMU Homeland Security Legislation Opinion

Obama to Host Persian Gulf Leaders

Obama Iran

By John Ubaldi
Contributor, In Homeland Security

Next week, President Obama will host leaders of Persian Gulf nations for a summit to discuss a variety of ways to strengthen security cooperation, and enhance partnership between the Gulf States and the United States.

The White House issued a statement last month stating, President Obama will welcome leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – to the White House on May 13, and to Camp David on May 14. The gathering will be an opportunity for the leaders to discuss ways to enhance their partnership and deepen security support.

Last month Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed, the military leader of the United Arab Emirates, met with the president to formalize the agenda, with the UAE initially wanting a formal treaty to defend members of the Gulf States against any external aggression; meaning any aggression by Iran.

The administration walked back any formal agreement as “not realistic,” given political restraints by not being able to get Senate ratification, and mainly “not necessary.”

A White House official commented that “We can provide . . . an expansion of our security assurances to our allies that would give them confidence we will be there if needed.” The official continued to remark that the United States is discussing with Gulf Cooperation Council member nations of greater military cooperation, which includes equipment, various training, the sale of advanced weapons, and joint military exercises.

For the past few years the president has been hard pressed, trying to convince the Gulf nations and Saudi Arabia the commitment of the U.S. to the region, even after President Obama’s comment before the United Nations in September 2013. “The United States of America is prepared to use all elements of our power, including military force, to secure our core interests in the region. We will confront external aggression against our allies and partners, as we did in the Gulf War.”

Our allies in the region hear what the president says, but are unsure of his commitment as they witnessed the conflicting nature of Obama’s Syria strategy, how he handled the Egyptian crisis, and his confusing approach to dealing with ISIS.

The real challenge for the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia is the president’s approach to dealing with Iran and its nuclear program. They are fearful the administration is committed to obtaining a deal with Iran no matter the details, which will leave Tehran with the capacity to produce a nuclear device at its choosing.

They witnessed firsthand how the administration handled the Syrian crisis and its use of chemical weapons, in which the president was prepared to use force, then failed to enforce his own redline.

The Gulf States are worried that the U.S. is fixated on obtaining a nuclear agreement, all the while Iran is heavily involved in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Tehran’s recent activity of supporting the Houthis in there overthrow of the Yemeni government, sending that country into a virtual civil war.

The president did not alleviate their concerns when interviewed last month by New York Times Reporter Thomas Friedman, when he was quoted as saying, regarding the Gulf States: “The biggest threats that they face may not be coming from Iran invading. It’s going to be from dissatisfaction inside their own countries. Now disentangling that from real terrorist activity inside their country, how we sort that out, how we engage in the counterterrorism cooperation that’s been so important to our own security — without automatically legitimizing or validating whatever repressive tactics they may employ — I think that’s a tough conversation to have, but it’s one that we have to have.”

The Gulf States see the threat differently than the president, as in their minds the greatest threat is not from ISIS, but from Iran.

Actions and statements by the president and his administration have left not only the Gulf States confused and bewildered by U.S. policy, but the real power broker in the Arab world, Egypt, is also unsure of the strategy and the commitment of the United States.

Instead of lessening their fears, we have just heightened their apprehension of our commitment to the region, and now they are adjusting their own strategy as a hedge against our pull back.

Next week’s summit will be interesting as these countries will be giving the president a concentrated rebuke of his strategy in the region.

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