The fight against terror and chaos is the major challenge facing the Arab region, and it is a struggle on many levels ranging from direct military opposition to the barbarians of Daesh (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and any groups like them, to supporting regimes facing such attack, to a much wider programme of nurturing of liberal and tolerant thinking among the Muslims of the Arab world and around the globe.
This is why the UAE has taken such a firm lead in defining a way forward. Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was clear last week that Daesh cannot be fought in isolation in Iraq, and that the civil war in Syria also needs to be addressed for its own sake and as a base from which Daesh will continue to operate. He also spoke of the dangers in allowing the chaos of the multi-sided war in Libya between many militias to continue unchecked and described the country as a “ticking bomb”.
These challenges need an effective regional response. That is why the current GCC initiative to form a united effort against terror from all six states should offer a lead which can become an Arab position in which 22 members of the Arab League can unite to take action. Even if they act with the support of their international allies, the Arab states need to offer the political lead because no political solution will be found in Washington or Paris. An Arab-led programme can then seek the willing support of the United Nations and become a worldwide effort to support the essential local political solutions to this crucial problem.
