Abu Dhabi: The United States is not retreating or shifting away from the Middle East, a former top American official said in the capital on Monday evening.
Chuck Hagel, former US Secretary of Defence, delivered a lecture in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Organised by the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, Hagel addressed many of the global challenges and how changing dynamics would rebalance or lead to a new world order.
Among the key topics that were brought up during the talk was the perceived notion that the US no longer has a strong interest in the Middle East as it once had, a notion Hagel was keen to dispel. “A rebalance of our interests [towards Pacific-Asia] is not to be confused with retreat from any other part of the world, [and] it was never intended to be that way… The United States is not retreating from the Middle East,” he said.
“The word pivot, which is often used to explain this issue, the pivot to Asia-Pacific… That was not a term used by President Obama or the [US] administration… What that connotates is that we pivot away from an area to go to another, and that’s not what rebalance is about,” he added.
Hagel said that the US rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific was due to the area’s rising prominence and was therefore something natural for it to pursue as a superpower, but noted that the US was still keenly invested in the Middle East.
“We recognise we have certain responsibilities, [and] we will continue to fulfil our commitments and obligations to our allies [in the Middle East],” he said.
On the future challenges countries will face, Hagel said it would take good leadership to face them, and praised the UAE as an example of a country that is positively coming up with solutions for the 21st century.
“[Today’s] world has presented to us opportunities to do more good for more people than ever before in history, because we have the capacity and capability to do that… It will depend on the wisdom of our leaders, supported by the wisdom of the people.
“It is no longer about the confines of one nation and one society… The UAE has done this job as masterfully in integrating ideas, concepts, and future thinking with technology and economics as any other country in the world,” he added.
Hagel also spoke positively on the stronger assertive role being played by countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and voiced his support for the idea of a pan-Arab army in tackling the issues in the region.
“The problems of the Middle East are going to have to be solved by the people of the Middle East… The more responsibility that the nations of this area take, I support that, [and] I think it’s the right move,” he said.
