Trump Might Be Right About NATO Engagement in the Mideast

Akri Cipa

Security, Middle East

For many decades, NATO has served as peace tool that deterred hostile actors with its military might. In an increasingly changing world and with new complex challenges that asymmetrically and indirectly affect its members, the alliance needs to develop and enhance its capabilities in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peace efforts.

In his first White House address after the recent confrontation of the United States with Iran, President Donald Trump asked NATO to take a bigger role in the Middle East. His call for higher involvement in the processes of the troubled region was met with much skepticism. Yet, though many fail to acknowledge it, NATO and its European members have a stake in the events in the Middle East. By taking a more leading position in a region not so far away from Europe, the alliance has not only the chance to help in peace efforts but also to recalibrate its scope and capabilities in the face of increasingly hybrid and indirect threats and challenges.

Though different members of the organization may have diverging interests and concerns, everybody wants to prevent an escalation that could be devastating. Some of the suggestions floated by President Trump, including the possibility of expanding NATO to the Middle East is extreme and will likely be rejected a priori. But these wild suggestions should not distract from the concrete possibility of having an increased NATO presence and role in that region.

The North Atlantic alliance, with unparalleled military capabilities in the modern world, has served as a powerful deterrent against destabilizing activities and malignant actors in Europe, especially vis a vis Russia, and has contributed actively in the fight against terrorism. Now, with new challenges being presented in its close proximity, NATO has the possibility to gain capabilities in terms of strategic engagement in peace efforts and serve as a cohesive force in defusing conflicts that could indirectly affect many member states.

No one can negate the already great contribution in prior U.S. efforts in the Mideast. The first and only invocation of NATO’s Article 5, which enshrines the principle of collective defense, was after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11. The military alliance actively participated in the Afghanistan campaign. More recently, NATO has been an integral part of the U.S.-led campaign in the fight against the Islamic State.