The threat of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for Nato as it increases its ties with Arab states, a senior alliance official told The National on Thursday.
The western alliance has been developing its “building defence capacity” programmes over the years with countries such as Jordan, Tunisia and more recently Mauritania.
The programmes underpin Nato’s partnerships, he said.
This week, Nato member states met in Madrid to discuss a new strategy for countering international threats, and to adapt an evolving security response.
In Jordan, the alliance has been assisting the government in its fight against terrorism since 2014.
The latest updates to the region's defence capabilities demonstrate “Nato’s commitment to Jordan and to the region, and that the fight against terrorism is growing and becoming more intense and in-depth,” the official said.
“The most recent update of Jordan’s package emphasises special operations forces, border security and other key counterterrorism capabilities,” said the official.
“It’s one of a good set of success stories,” he said.
In terms of capacity building, Nato has been assisting Jordan's National Centre for Security Crisis to “achieve full operational capacity. For example, it helped co-ordinate the country's Covid-19 pandemic response,” said the official.
The alliance has also supported the training of 200 military and law enforcement officials in dealing with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
And a new military training centre has been built in Jordan for women, he said.
In Tunisia, Nato has enhanced its intelligence and cybersecurity forces and now has 11 initiatives which were updated at Nato's summit in Madrid this week.
Nato's programme has aimed to increase the professionalism of Tunisia's special forces, enhance its IED capability, its intelligence, and cybersecurity.
“All of these things help support the fight against terrorism and help the nation of Tunisia to be more stable and more secure,” said the official.
Nato is also concerned about the Sahel region's deteriorating security situation.
“I reaffirm that Nato’s approach to Sahel is focused on building a long-standing relationship with Mauritania; it has six initiatives and it intends to help enhance its key security concerns,” the official said.
The initiatives include enhancing counterterrorism capabilities, working with security forces and strengthening maritime security. Other initiatives include military education, he said.
The Madrid summit's declaration, published late on Wednesday, stated that “terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, continues to pose a direct threat to the security of our populations, and to international stability and prosperity.”
“With determination, resolve, and in solidarity, allies will continue to counter Russian threats and respond to its hostile actions and to fight terrorism, in a manner consistent with international law.”
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
