EMERGING regional threats, especially from Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), continue to worry US allies in the Gulf, including Bahrain, who have stepped up defence measures, a top US diplomat has said.
US Political-Military Affairs Bureau Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional Security Mira Resnick yesterday assured that America would continue to work with its partners and allies, including Bahrain, to address these requirements.
She also added that US President Joe Biden’s administration would ‘redouble’ efforts to resolve complex armed conflicts in the region.
Ms Resnick was responding to the GDN on the record Press briefing discussing her participation in the Dubai Airshow and the US’ support to security capacity-building in the Middle East.
“Yes, we see different defence requirements from many countries in the region, including Bahrain,” she said.
“I think the most salient requirement is on countering UAS, because we do see this as an emerging technology and a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our partners.
“There are often layered solutions to this problem, and this is something that we will continue to focus on.”
She said joint exercises of the US Fifth Fleet in the Red Sea, with Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, were not a show of US power. They were more aimed at boosting security co-operation, said Ms Resnick.
“This is something that we’ve been focusing for a long time, long before any particular issue with Iran came up,” she said.
“It’s good news for the region to be able to do these kinds of overt, open security co-operation exercises that really help to protect the people of the region.”
Endorsing the ‘several threats in the region’ including the Iranian aggression, she said the US was committed to work with its partners to disrupt Al Qaeda and other terrorist networks, prevent ISIS resurgence in the region and address humanitarian crises.
“We will redouble our efforts to resolve complex armed conflicts throughout the region that threaten regional stability,” she said.
Ms Resnick said regional actors like Iran continued to pursue game-changing capabilities and technologies ‘which are being used to threaten US allies and partners’.
“These emerging capabilities are real threats,” she said.
“We want to be able to help our partners address them.
“This is where security co-operation is the most important component, making sure that our partners have what they need to be able to defend themselves.
“We are taking a real hard look at defence capability requirements and seeing where the US can play that critical role, both through co-operation and through security assistance.”
Ms Resnick in her opening address stated that her ‘primary focus’ was to provide oversight of the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers and its management of its $40 billion in annual foreign military sales, excess defence articles, and third-party transfers.
On the region increasingly turning to Russia and China for weapons, Ms Resnick said the US remains the partner of choice of all its allies in the region.
“Our presence and our relationships with Middle East partners help prevent efforts by Russia and China to extend their influence into the region,” she said.
“Building and expanding partnerships through security co-operation and defence trade enables our allies and partners to protect their sovereignty from malign influences, defend their borders, promote the rule of law in the air, on land, and at sea, respond to humanitarian crises, counternarcotics, transnational crime and terrorism.”
raji@gdn.com.bh
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