Abu Dhabi: Even though US president Barack Obama has indicated his willingness to introduce diplomacy and strategic development across the world, terrorism, money laundering and a lack of food security are playing a role in the global financial crisis, said experts during the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) conference.
Dr Nick Ridley, senior lecturer in Policing and Security at the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the UK's London Metropolitan University, said even though the US is keen to withdraw its troops from Iraq, there remain unresolved realities in Afghanistan that will require military instruments of force from the US.
Ridley feels money laundering and terrorism are the major pointers with regard to organised crime, and they have played a major role in the global economic crisis.
"The Gulf region has shown considerable initiative in fighting terrorism and money laundering through the Gulf Cooperation Council in its efforts to help suppress terrorism. At present every single region is vulnerable to terrorist crimes."
Another major impact on a country's development is a lack of food security, and even though it has not dramatically affected the GCC region it has played a big role during the past two years, said Dr Joachim von Braun, Director-General of the US International Food Policy Research Insitute.
"A lack of food security stocks led to an overall inflation rate which led to an increase in food prices in the GCC by a good 15 to 20 per cent.
"This led to less capital, a higher debt crisis for farmers, reduced wages for labourers and reduced remittances in countries depending on imported food."
