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Article

Published

Issue 1 (565)

32-53

Contrary to the policy of George Bush-junior, the Barack Obama administration's line consisted in avoidance of its immediate involvement into the Middle East conflicts while preferring to act through its Arab proxies. The latter, in their turn, insisted on a more intense US support of the Sunni Arab efforts in Syria and Yemen as well. The deepened divergence between the Gulf Arabs and the U.S. prompted Washington to proceed to create a large coalition with the purpose to fight the ISIS. Given that the Obama administration resorted to some steps to bring to normal its relationship with the Arab partners. In the mid-May 2015 it tried to convene a reconciliatory summit inviting the Gulf Arab leaders to the Camp David residence. It concluded with adoption of joint statement asserting a “new partnership concept between the GCC and the USA”. It stipulated a rather limited responsibility of Washington as to ensure security for the Gulf partners as compared to the previous total security commitment. Now the USA is supposed to be committed to provide modern weaponry, to develop cooperation in securing the maritime communications, as well as in cyber security and in fighting terrorism, to train the military units of the GCC and finally to deploy an updated anti- aircraft system. Besides, the main battle force was supposed to be made up of the local GCC countries armies. Another not less important component of the “renewed American-Arab partnership” was stated as the confirmed readiness of both sides to counter and deter the Iran's “destabilizing activity”. This point was of particular importance pertaining to ease as well as to remove the fears of the Gulf Arabs over the Barack Obama's being able to pass to a partnership with Iran at the expense of the GCC.

09.01.2017

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