Voices from the Arab press: The future of America's wars

Two speeches given in recent weeks – one by the “founding father” of US foreign policy Henry Kissinger, and the other by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin – should give us a big pause. Both remarks reveal a potential new kind of warfare that the United States might be heading into.

Speaking at the McCain Institute in Washington, Kissinger discussed a potential confrontation between the United States and China, and claimed that such a war will see the use of entirely new deadly weapons. Instead of rockets and tanks, a war between the two superpowers might take place entirely within cyberspace, leading to casualties without a single bullet fired by either side.

Kissinger didn’t leave much room for imagination: Just imagine a cyberattack setting off a nuclear power plant in the United States or leading to the release of electromagnetic radiation in large population centers. The result would be a total calamity.

Similarly, Austin also referenced America’s future conflicts in a statement he delivered during a visit to US Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii. Some commentators noted that this was Austin’s first political speech, reflecting a departure from his typical nonpartisan demeanor.

In his speech, Austin warned that the US must prepare for major conflict in the future, different from the way it has handled “old wars” in the past. The secretary of defense called on his men and women to take advantage of technological advances in order to improve the integration of military operations on a global level, so that decision-makers can “get the information quickly, understand it and act faster.”

That his statements were made during a visit to the Indo-Pacific Command was meant to send a clear message to China, which has been busy reviving and upgrading its nuclear naval fleet.

These two statements raise the question: Are the Americans oblivious to Russia and its growing cooperation with China? The answer may have been given by Gen. John Raymond, the US chief of space operations, who recently indicated that Moscow and Beijing designed a weapon capable of disabling and completely destroying US satellites in space.

With the risk of conflict continuously growing both in cyberspace and outer space, one can’t help but wonder whether the next big war will even require traditional arms that have been used in terrestrial warfare throughout history. – Amil Amin

The first thing one noticed when observing the recent Egyptian-Turkish meeting that took place in the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Cairo was the fact that the meeting took place at the level of deputy ministers. In diplomacy, this is the lowest level of representation a country can send. And the choice was very deliberate: Until Erdogan proves the seriousness of his intentions in turning a new page in his country’s relations with Egypt, Cairo will treat him with the suspicion he deserves.

But who knows? Maybe Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry will eventually meet his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu. But confidence-building measures will have to be enacted before then.

After all, at the same time that Turkey’s deputy foreign minister visited Cairo, a senior delegation of Turkish officials – including the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, minister of defense, and the director of national intelligence – embarked on a visit to Libya, for talks with the newly formed government. In a press conference held with Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla el-Mangoush and Cavusoglu, a clear discomfort was sensed in the room when, in response to a question posed by one of the journalists, Mangoush called on all Turkish forces present in Libya to leave the country. The Turkish delegation seemed taken aback by the remarks, especially given the understanding it had reached with the previous government of Fayez al-Sarraj.

This incident came just a few weeks after Turkey’s defense minister visited northern Iraq without an invitation from the government in Baghdad, resulting in a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. The crisis worsened when the minister announced, during the visit, that Ankara is considering establishing a permanent military base in northern Iraq.

These are just some of the recent Turkish mishaps that occurred during official visits of Turkish dignitaries in the region.

It therefore comes as no surprise that Cairo is being suspicious and careful of Turkey’s move, even when Ankara formally announces its desire to renew its ties with Cairo. If Turkey is indeed serious in its intention to mend its relationship with Cairo, which took a hit during the 2013 revolution, then it will have to demonstrate that it is a responsible and reliable actor – not just with Egypt, but with other countries in the region. – Suleiman Judeh

Science always played a critical role in allowing mankind to battle, and ultimately win over, different diseases. Science allows us to understand the causes of fever, avoid the impact of germs, and deal with bacteria and viruses. Thanks to science, we’ve developed antibiotics and vaccines, and built a world in which communicable diseases are almost extinct. This great role played by scientists throughout history is the reason that millions of lives have been saved and numerous societies have been protected from disappearing.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic caught us by surprise and stirred things up. But here, too, scientists took it upon themselves to fight the virus and develop both cures and vaccines that would protect humanity from this threat.

Last night, I had a dream that the Gulf Cooperation Council decided to build a center for scientific research in one of the Gulf cities. The center drew scientists from all over the world to conduct cutting-edge research on technology and medicine.

Unfortunately, the dream was spoiled when I snapped back into reality and heard voices asking: Where are the scientists? How much is each Gulf country paying for this? Why is it based in Bahrain and not in Kuwait?

Even though this dialogue was just a dream, its essence is true: We are countries claiming to cooperate with one another, but we spend most of our energy on suspicion and baseless accusations. The skeptical voices I heard in my dream are the same voices that prevent us from achieving our full potential and living in a unified Gulf region.

Thankfully, today there is one glimmer of hope in the Gulf; and that glimmer of hope is Saudi Arabia. With a strong and sincere vision of making the region a better place, the kingdom is setting an example for its neighbors by putting its own interests aside and pursuing projects that benefit the entire region.

I truly hope that this vision will extend into the field of scientific research, and that we all cooperate until we achieve some of our dreams.

The Gulf region has so much potential, but in order to achieve it, we must put our differences and our egos aside. There is no better time to do so than now. – Khaled Ahmed Al-Saleh 

With the advent of Ramadan, hearts and minds are not only drifting toward the closest and dearest to us, but also toward the most vulnerable groups in our society. Today, the world faces an unprecedented challenge to overcome the critical stage of the pandemic and enable every person in the world to gain access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

UNICEF, the largest international organization concerned with children, and the Islamic Development Bank Group, the largest AAA-rated development organization in the Muslim world, share a common view of the critical role that Islamic finance and philanthropy must play in stimulating social and economic recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic.

It is clear to all of us that every passing day greatly affects the healthy physical and mental development of children. Indeed, for many children around the world, life stopped with the outbreak of the pandemic – especially for those who have lost access to educational opportunities during the past year.

The world is now in a race against time to ensure the speedy and just distribution of vaccines to all populations, especially those belonging to vulnerable groups, such as refugees, children and the elderly. UNICEF and the Islamic Development Bank have been at the forefront of this effort. UNICEF is in the process of purchasing two billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX initiative. Meanwhile, the Islamic Development Bank is working with governments in each country to help ensure that vaccines reach the necessary populations in the fastest and most efficient way. Further, the Islamic Development Bank committed over $3.6 billion last year alone to support its 57 member states.

Still, access to tests, treatments and vaccinations remains a distant dream for the most vulnerable people. Therefore, we believe that Islamic charitable work can make a big difference. UNICEF and the Islamic Development Bank Group have established the Global Islamic Charitable Fund for Children, and we believe that this fund can serve as a vital tool to direct and coordinate Islamic charitable work, and to give the most vulnerable people the opportunity to overcome the pandemic and achieve sustainable development goals related to children.

Two of our first partners, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurair Refugee Education Fund in the United Arab Emirates, have already taken the initiative to support vital programs that benefit children in Jordan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to these partners for their laudable work to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

Through this new fund, Muslim philanthropists have an opportunity to provide charitable financial contributions to those who need help most, while benefiting from the support of a reputable, effective and transparent Islamic financial institution. Through the fund, we can work alongside national health programs to ensure that vaccines reach the most vulnerable groups with fairness and respect for human dignity.

During this holy month, we are reminded once again that our battle against COVID-19 won’t end until everyone – not just the rich and wealthy – is vaccinated. Devoting resources to this goal is not only the noble thing to do; it’s also the only way to lift the world out of this pandemic. – Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar, president, Islamic Development Bank, and Henrietta Faure, UNICEF executive director