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US Expert Urges GCC to Take on Role of Global Actor

James A. Russell, National Security Affairs lecturer in Naval Postgraduate School, said that while the region’s instability could pose a threat to the security vital for the area’s development, the GCC had an important role to play.

“However, the GCC region is in outstanding position as a global, financial superpower. Hence, they (GCC states) must unify their economic and political efforts to become a global actor,” he pointed out.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 14th Annual Conference for Human Resources in the Arabian Gulf, which was held in the capital last week, Russell said the Islamic Revolution had damaged the Iranian economy, whereas, in comparison, the GCC states were in a much better economic position.

“I am not sure that the Iranian political and religious leadership is looking after this fact or not. However, the GCC states must meet the challenge of Iran’s pursuit of regional hegemony. Human and economic development is tied to security. We are in a dangerous period where several different global, strategic and regional trends are intersecting, where development is hostage to political, economic and military imbalances.”

On the instability in Iraq and its consequences on the human development, Russell remarked, “In my point of view, it is worse to use the force to restructure the human capacity. I am not arguing if the war on Iraq is worse. However, the war is a ‘human catastrophe’ as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people in addition to thousands of Americans have been wounded and there is no way to quiet and over.”

On the future security situation in Iraq and its potential effect on the GCC’s development plans, Russell said, “The impact is simply to create potential economic and political partner with the rest of the states. However, after the restructuring Iraq can be a strong regional partner to the GCC region.”

On the policy of the new US administration under the leadership of Barack Obama, Russell sees that the peace and soft power would be the buzzword.

“It is absolutely clear that the new president wants to emphasise on using the ‘soft power’, not the military. I think Obama wants to rely on the role of economics, trade relationships, and using diplomacy as ways and means to establish common understanding and setting up cooperation to ensure security by peace works and operations,” he said.

ahmed@khaleejtimes.com

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