Creating an ‘Arab Nato’? Here’s a Better Idea for Trump
Building an informal coalition — and quelling conflicts over Qatar and Yemen — would serve everyone’s interests.
Now, about that blockade...
Photographer: Evan Vucci/AP/Getty Images
The White House has indicated President Trump will convene leaders of the Gulf Arab countries for a mid-October summit in Washington, to encourage them to collaborate and stiffen their resolve in the escalating struggle with Iran. That’s a good idea, and overdue.
Encouraging cooperation is one thing, but leading a formal Arab coalition is quite another. U.S. officials talk of creating an “Arab NATO.” This would attach American power and prestige to a project with little chance of success. U.S. interests and the fight against Iran will be best served if Trump achieves a more modest goal — persuading the Arab states to stop fighting each other.