Robert B. Charles is a Republican politician and lawyer from the United States. From 2003 to 2005, he served as Colin Powell's assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
He also worked for the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, was a US navy officer for ten years, five years as counsel to the US House Oversight Committee, wrote the 2003 book "Narcotics and Terrorism," and taught at Harvard's extension school.
In this article, we will look at his reflection on the political realities between UAE and Israel:
We must grasp and hold onto the solid future that is within our grasp. By signing the Abraham Accords, the UAE became the third Arab nation to formally establish diplomatic ties with the Jewish state in August 2020, and the first new nation to do so in 28 years.
The United Arab Emirates, Israel, and the United States of America made a wise diplomatic choice there. For regional peace, though, time is running out.
It crushes your heart that we do not have a new generation of strong and energetic political leaders who realize that the Middle East is worthy of their entire focus as we look over one shoulder and see Iran pressing for nuclear weapons, the Biden Administration stumbling, and a fraying of past progress.
Saying "we can get this right, we must get this right" is necessary. Optimism is challenging due to the lengthy history of inter- and intra-national conflict, cultural diversity, unresolved misconceptions, and depleted hope. However, Trump and all of the Abraham Accords signatories urged "let's give this another shot, let's work on this as if it mattered, which it does, let's take one bite at a time."
The idea is straightforward, but implementation is challenging. It is that, perhaps, by doing so, we can get to a place where we are all more aware of our shared interests in the world. Making peace in conflict-ridden places while remaining persistent and providing a win-win situation in a lose-lose environment was what made this work. Winston Church once said: "Kites fly highest against the wind, not with it," and we must cling to that kite thread in order to remember this. We must put up more effort.
In the end, this begs the fundamental query of how a durable peace is established and maintained between the Arabs and the Israelis. Generally speaking, it always involves taking two steps ahead, one step back, and then another two steps forward. This continues until a tipping point is achieved and individuals recognize it is worthwhile to make the extra effort to get there.
Over the years, I've traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. Generally speaking, the Middle East and the Gulf region are being shaped and affected by three strategic pivots.
The United States and the United Arab Emirates rarely disagree on anything. We have the purchase of F-35 fighter jets. A $23 billion agreement for arms... To be clear, I do not currently work for the government; rather, I am an outsider. I'm still keeping an eye on that story. I'm a little worried about it because I hope the conflict surrounding that deal was just a hiccup. I'm hoping it's simply a little problem. I believe that relationship is crucial for the UAE, the US, and the numerous allies we share.
The threat posed by a nuclear agreement with Iran is the second strategic reality. Obama's agreement with Iran in 2015 comes to mind. I think that was a terrible deal, a trap, and a foil. I believe it implicitly granted Iran the right to develop nuclear weapons at some point, gravely endangering world peace. Whatever may yet be signed, we are not discussing a reliable nation. Ronald Reagan once said, "Trust, but verify."
However, there are occasions when you do not trust if there is a good reason not to. That bargain doesn't appeal to me. It was poorly thought out and underestimated the threat. This administration needs to become cautious and open-minded.
The third strategic reality is that we continue to face the same issues over and over again, and they are becoming worse every day. Examples include drug trafficking, the rule of law, the value of individual liberties, and longer-term goals that continue to dominate international security politics.
In this area, I can remember my government experience. As an assistant secretary of state, my duties included both counter-narcotics and police training all around the world, which is a fairly simple process. An initiative to reduce the amount of heroin produced in Afghanistan was called "Plan Colombia." Because of the despicable mess the Biden team left behind in that nation, I firmly believe that the Taliban will turn to drug trafficking as a means of generating income.
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