DR. ABDULLATIF BIN RASHID AL ZAYANI, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, BAHRAIN I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you to this year’s Manama Dialogue, where in these most difficult of regional and international circumstances we reaffirm the practical value and importance of engaging in sincere and meaningful dialogue. By doing so, we are actively seeking solutions to all the issues and challenges that lie before us, to create opportunities for genuine peace, stability and prosperity in the days and years ahead. The focus of our session is Navigating Global Competition. As regions, the Gulf…
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His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, delivered a keynote address at the 19th edition of the Manama Dialogue security conference in which he pressed for a peaceful resolution of the Gaza conflict. During a speech on November 17, 2023, His Royal Highness set out conditions necessary for “breaking the cycle of violence,” a feat only possible through the release of innocents and non-combatants. His Royal Highness stressed that the release of hostages is a prerequisite to pause hostilities. The Crown Prince also called for the full application of international law to…
JASEM MOHAMED AL BUDAIWI, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULf May I start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the esteemed leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain for graciously hosting this event and granting me the honor and privilege of addressing you. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the organizers of the “Manama Dialogue,” for providing this important platform that brings together government ministers, policymakers, experts and influencers in a unique forum for discussing critical issues in foreign policy, defense, and security in…
DR. NAYEF AL HAJRAF, then-SECRETARY-GENERAL, COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB STATES OF THE GULF Throughout history, the Middle East has been a region with great initiatives, yet with major and ongoing conflicts. I would like to focus on one great initiative that was introduced and implemented more than 42 years ago, the establishment of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, known as the GCC. On May 25, 1981, the GCC was established by its six member states — the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Oman, State of Qatar and…
UNIPATH STAFF The situational map at military headquarters displayed ominously glowing streaks of green arcing from enemy missile bases. They represented missiles on course for military and civilian installations in the Arabian Gulf. But the enemy had surrendered much of the element of surprise: Tracking the missiles was a military team consisting of Saudis, Emiratis, Bahrainis, Qataris, Omanis and Kuwaitis, part of a multinational coalition tasked with defending the region. The responses were as varied as the defensive arsenals of the partner forces throughout the Arabian Gulf. Patriot anti-missile batteries erupted with counterfire. Fighter jets sprang from airfields to intercept…
UNIPATH STAFF In a display of military proficiency designed to deter adversaries and reassure partners, Saudi and U.S. troops offloaded an amphibious expeditionary force in the Red Sea port of Yanbu and moved it hundreds of kilometers inland. It was the latest iteration of the Native Fury military exercise, held in Saudi Arabia in August 2022. Native Fury 22 focused mostly on maritime logistics with the participation of the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and the United States Marine Corps. More than 1,000 military personnel, many ships, naval vessels, tactical operation centers, and cyber capabilities were involved in the exercise’s…
Having spearheaded the manhunt for the remnants of Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia as well as dismantling its networks and killing or capturing its leadership, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) has played a significant role in the fight against terrorist gangs and lawless groups since its establishment in 2003. Yet the role of CTS has not been limited to merely combating terrorist groups active in Iraq; it has also been tasked with other missions, including helping quell the 2006 sectarian violence. With the help of our United States Special Forces partners, the CTS has succeeded in forging a cohesive force capable of…
UNIPATH STAFF Among the many cruelties Daesh inflicted on Iraq, terrorists bombarded the town of Taza near Kirkuk in 2016 using crudely constructed artillery shells and rockets laced with mustard and chlorine gas. Of the 45,000 inhabitants of Taza, 1,800 were accounted casualties of these forbidden weapons, many suffering from blistered skin and lungs. Daesh’s dalliance with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) — terrorists also tried to wield radiological dirty bombs from nuclear material pilfered from hospitals and research labs — provided a blunt warning to security officials in the Middle East about the larger threat to the region. Military…
UNIPATH STAFF At 6:07 p.m. on August 4, 2020, a giant mushroom cloud formed over the Port of Beirut. The shockwave from the blast — caused by an explosion of 2,750 tons of stored ammonium nitrate — obliterated whole neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital. The disaster left more than 40,000 homes, apartments, shops and offices uninhabitable. In addition to the 218 dead attributed to the explosion, 6,500 Beirut residents were injured and another 300,000 displaced from homes and businesses. Four hospitals, serving hundreds of thousands of people, were knocked out of commission. The main building of the Lebanese Ministry of…
BRIG. GEN. AMMAR ALYASIRI, IRAQI AIR FORCE By the second half of 2021, the Iraqi Air Force had largely taken ownership of conducting independent airstrikes on Daesh targets. In fact, we launched more strikes between June and December 2021 than all non-Iraqi coalition force strikes in the same period in 2020. This ability to plan and conduct autonomous operations represents a significant step toward self-sufficiency for the Iraqi Air Force and provides a credible Iraqi dynamic strike capability that will help ensure the success of the counter-Daesh mission. Success, however, brings its own challenges. Like many advanced air forces across…