Arab League agrees to form joint military force

Iran Press TV
Thu Mar 26, 2015 10:59PM

The Arab League member states have unanimously agreed to set up a joint military force against what they call threats against Arab states. Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said on Thursday that the bloc's foreign ministers agreed during their meeting in Egypt on a draft resolution to establish the force.

'This is the first time that a force will be created and work under the name of Arab states,' he said during a joint press conference with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Arab League agrees to form joint military force

I thought the possibility of an Arab League joint military force as the one which the 22 member states will be voting on this weekend might evoke some serious conversation.

I think it's hard to imagine the league which has traditionally been at best a joint defense matter would be making this move as a result of ongoing violence in the region; but will it be possible to be effective given the number of international chefs in the kitchen so to speak.

We have a very active and meddlesome set of interested parties trying to make certain that they remain relevant.

The League's main goal is to "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries".

The there are the historic and religious considerations to concern ourselves with, after all; this is the same Arab League that expelled Egypt when it signed a peace treaty with Israel.

Yeah, there's room to discuss.

a reply to: Maxmars

This should be interesting. Technically some of the Arab nations have incredibly advanced military forces. Personnel wise, not so much. I've heard some horror stories from people that worked with some of them.

Yes its partly in response to the violence going on......

But its even more in response to Iran getting nukes....

The whole region keeps trying to tell people that a bad Iran deal will cause issues........

The administration isnt listening.....

Things are on the verge of getting way worse than anything we can imagine

Absolutely wonderful news.

It is needed.

Now and finally will the great powers have NO EXCUSE to get involved in localised conflict.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Maxmars

This should be interesting. Technically some of the Arab nations have incredibly advanced military forces. Personnel wise, not so much. I've heard some horror stories from people that worked with some of them.

Those forces should be more than effective at a local level, when they aren't facing a multinational, NATO, Russian or Chinese coalition of far superior power.

Let them sort out their own battles is what many have been calling for for a long time.

I for one am happy with this decision. Are you not?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Maxmars

This should be interesting. Technically some of the Arab nations have incredibly advanced military forces. Personnel wise, not so much. I've heard some horror stories from people that worked with some of them.

Let me raise my hand on this one. The Air Forces seem to get quality personel (officers) at least as pilots but, ground units outside of elite units I have found to terrible. Then again unless they are facing a Western nation or Israel nobody they face is going to be any better.

As for an Arab League force? I do not see it working. The Arab league rarely agrees on things. What I could see its adhoc groupings being formed to deal with a crisis. Kind of like the African Union does. Of course like the African Union, any Arab League force will need US/NATO support in troop deployments, logistics, updated intel, and command and control. I just do not see the Arab League having the unity needed to field a joint force. It seems more and more the US/Western role is going to be supporting regional allies in coaltions take care of regional problems. We are seeing this in Iraq, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia and Mali. That means less US lives lost and less people getting upset about a nation a globe away playing policeman.

a reply to: MrSpad

I physically breathed a sigh of relief, an actual physical one, not just a metaphorical one, when I read this news.

originally posted by: Jonjonj
Absolutely wonderful news.

It is needed.

Now and finally will the great powers have NO EXCUSE to get involved in localised conflict.

Modern politicians, do they ever have a legit excuse for anything?

originally posted by: 5thNovember

originally posted by: Jonjonj
Absolutely wonderful news.

It is needed.

Now and finally will the great powers have NO EXCUSE to get involved in localised conflict.

Modern politicians, do they ever have a legit excuse for anything?

No, at least now they can not count on the ignorance of the populace though right?

a reply to: Maxmars

Its about time.. they have been kicking this idea around for decades now. Its also nice to see local countries taking an interest in local events and dealing with them on their own.

Cool, let's start making arms deals with them before Russia does.

We may need them on our side when WWIII breaks out.

This is an interesting development in the ongoing "Civil war" between factions in the region. "Which side are you on, boys, which side are you on" could be sung throughout.

The Arab league isn’t worth a pile of sh__


All this is against another pile of sh__ Iran

ALL the governments in the ME including Israel are a bottomless spit of tyranny, backward ignorance, and a plaque on humanity.

I say get the woman and children out and nuke the place

Leave these patriarchal madmen to their doom!

Dont make me laugh!

The ARAB LEAGUE ISNT GOING TO DO A DAM THING

They cant wipe their assess in agreement

These back stabbing hypocrites

If anything they should have come together to exterminate ISIS

But these sectarian jackass Arabs are just doing this against Iran

Not the true plaque of humanity ISIS

Interesting news, but would like to see it work.

The Arab nations are a study in distrust and antipathy between each other, specifically between the different denominations of Islam. ISIS are in the business of killing Muslims, as was most of the internecine killing in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

The major threat to Arab nations are themselves and their inclination to butcher each other.

One big problem I see is the different tribes from different sects...

Whereas can the Sunnis fight on the same side as the shiite and so forth, and will they be able to see others as a common enemy when times come?

That will be the first hurdle, but I am interested in seeing how this will work, and whether or not they can make it work.

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask
Things are on the verge of getting way worse than anything we can imagine

The different denominations of Islam hate each other, but if they ever get together and turn their hate outward, the world will be in for a pile of hurt.

I wonder if the U.S./NATO will be training and organizing the consolidated forces.

originally posted by: xuenchen
I wonder if the U.S./NATO will be training and organizing the consolidated forces.

Jordan, Israel and Egypt are members of NATO's partnership program so its possible NATO could offer training. Its also possible individual nations would assist.

Lets see how far they get with this idea first though..

originally posted by: xuenchen
I wonder if the U.S./NATO will be training and organizing the consolidated forces.

With exception of Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon the US conducts training will all the the other current member states. I would not be suprised to see the Arab League sign some treaties of cooperation like the African Union has done with NATO. NATO/US supplies the transport, intel , logistics support, training, and command and control and the African Union the manpower. I would expect the Arab League to so the same. The GCC (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE) states already have agreements with the US/NATO as does Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Mauritania already are part of NATOs cooperative agreements. So almost all of them are already covered so, and over all agreement would just make it more streamlined.