Abu Dhabi: Strategists said yesterday US President-elect Donald Trump has to recommit to the Middle East as the region remains a strategic priority for the United States.

“One of Trump’s mantras throughout his campaign was ‘Make America Great Again’, and I hope there will be a move towards this trend in the Middle East. The US has to recommit to this part of the world”, said James L. Jones, chairman at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and former US National Security Adviser.

Jones told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate that security is a much broader concept than it was 20-30 years ago. “It now includes energy and cybersecurity, military strength, and innovative ways where regional elements can come together with the US.”

The former US National Security Adviser expressed his dissatisfaction over the “Obama administration’s retreat concerning genuine involvement in the Middle East’s conflicts and developments, as was the case in Syria, Libya and Iraq”.

US elections sometimes come with unpredictable results, and Donald Trump is the proof. President-elect Trump winning the elections represents the “fall of the great blue wall” as industrial America has always voted for the Democrats, said Jon Huntsman, chairman at the Atlantic Council and former Governor of Utah.

Huntsman, who also worked as a US ambassador to China and Singapore, added this race during the presidential campaign has witnessed an end of boundaries between domestic issues and foreign US policy, and that was reflected in focusing on three major foreign policy topics: The Middle East, immigration and foreign trade.

“President-elect Trump’s slogan during the presidential campaign, ‘Making America Great Again’, will inevitably be translated into more active US role and presence on the international arena. Still we need to watch the first 100 days of Trump’s tenure in the White House, which, I expect, to shape the new Congress before getting involved in a tough legislative encounter to pass five or six important decisions,” Huntsman predicted.

Dr Andrew Parasiliti, director, Centre for Global Risk & Security, RAND Corporation, noted, “We are witnessing the new administration settle and it is tough to speculate how it will work until we see which figures are appointed to key roles. If General Mike Flynn is appointed as National Security Agency chief, he will be a strong figure.”

Dr Parasiliti said Russia’s meddling in the US election is fascinating, and there may be a degree of support in the US for cooperating with Russia in Syria. “According to a survey conducted by Shibley Tehlami, 67 per cent of Americans would like to see more US cooperation in Syria.”

Dr Parasiliti added that in the absence of frustration, three interests can be served by cooperating with Russia: “We need to engage the Syrian government, we also need humanitarian aid and, finally, we need to coordinate against Daesh.”

“If you don’t go out with a clear agenda on global leadership, there will be vacuums and it will have a backlash on the US,” Dr Parasiliti said.