Security Challenges in the Mediterranean Region
The countries south of the Mediterranean are currently undergoing a profound security crisis. This crisis is evident to western countries and, because of the growing importance of Muslim communities and migration, is overtly or covertly affecting European daily life. This book was published while the November 1995 Euro-Mediterranean ministerial conference in Barcelona was trying to provide a first response to the possible consequences of such a crisis in terms of security and foreign policy. These consequences, however, are still not very clear to western and European public opinion and are not much more evident to governments. This book aims to contribute to the clarification of the challenges to western security emerging from the Mediterranean area. There kinds of challenges are taken into consideration by the contributors: first, political and institutional challenges and the Arab security perceptions on which western political responses have to be predicted; second, economic and social challenges; and third, the military dimension of security in the area and the low level violence expressed by terrorism. The risks arising from Islamism, terrorism and military factors are pointed out by the authors. These risks underline the need to reinforce economic and social co-operation and to promote international relations in the area.
Contributions to this book question the concept of the clash of cultures. The challenge to the West does not lie in the monolith of Islam turning aggressively outward to Europe and the US, but in the rivalries between regimes ruling over societies divided by an imbalance in wealth and power.
Versione rivista dei paper presentati al seminario internazionale "Security Challenges in the Mediterranean Region" organizzato a Roma il 23-24 settembre 1994 dall'Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) e dal NATO Office for Information and Press.
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Dati bibliografici
London, Frank Cass, febbraio 1996, xiii, 195 p. -
In:
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ISBN/ISSN/DOI:
0-7146-4686-5 ; 978-0-7146-4686-2 ; 0-7146-4220-7 (pbk) ; 978-0-7146-4220-8 (pbk) ; 978-0-203-04418-6 (ebk)
Introduction / Roberto Aliboni, p. ix-xiii
Part I. Political Challenges
1. The Islamist Movement of North Africa, Michael Willis, p. 3-26
Algeria
Egypt
Tunisia
Morocco
North African Islamism in an International Perspective
Conclusions
2. The Changing Face of Egypt's Islamic Activism / Saad Eddin Ibrahim, p. 27-40
Beginning of the Third Wave
Currents in Egypt's Islamic Activism
The Changing Face of Islamic Militants
Towards an Explanation
Conclusion
3. Security and Co-operation in the Mediterranean: A Southern Viewpoint / Abdelwahab Biad, p. 41-49
The Interrelation of Security and Development in the Mediterranean
An Integrated Strategy for Euro-Maghreb Co-operation
Conclusion
4. Collective Political Co-operation in the Mediterranean / Roberto Aliboni, p. 51-64
New Focuses in the Mediterranean
The Scope and Need for Co-operation
Issues and Challenges Related to Mediterranean Political Co-operation
Goals and Features of Mediterranean Political Co-operation
5. Mediterranean Security: The Tunisian Viewpoint / Khalifa Chater, p. 65-80
The Mediterranean: Risks and Challenges
Fault Lines and Areas of Tension in the Mediterranean
A Redefinition of the Threat?
Conclusion
Part II. Economic Challenges
6. Economic Co-operation among Southern Mediterranean Countries / Michel Chatelus, p. 83-113
Economic Relations and South-South Co-operation
New Perspectives and Conditions for Regional Co-operation in the Political Context of the 1990s
The Potential and Stakes of Regional Co-operation
Conclusion
7. North-South Socio-Economic Relations in the Mediterranean / Tim Niblock, p. 115-136
North-South Mediterranean Trade
The Imbalance in the Economic Relationship: Security Implications
The Shaping of the Community's Relations with Non-EC Mediterranean Countries: The 1960s to the 1990s
Population Balance and Labour Migration
Conclusion
Part III. Military Challenges and Terrorism
8. Low-Level Violence and Terrorism / George Joffé, p. 139-160
A Definition of Terrorism
The Theoretical Background
The Situation Today
Terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa
Conclusion
9. Arms and Security in the Mediterranean Region / Jed C. Snyder, p. 161-185
Proliferation, Deterrence and Regional Security
Emerging Security Trends in the Mediterranean
Conclusion
Appendix: Security Challenges in the Mediterranean Region / Sergio Balanzino, p. 187-192
Contributors, p. 193-195