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Wikipedia
The evolution of Saudi Security
and enforcement
Policies on Communication
By N a e f B i N a h m e d a l - S a u d
His Royal Highness Brigadier General Naef Bin Ahmed Al-Saud of the Royal Saudi
Army holds a doctorate from Cambridge University. His professional focus includes
military special operations and international diplomacy.
38 JFQ / issue 65, 2 d quarter 2012 ndupres s . ndu. edu
Al-SAud
C
ommunication, including social learn from the Saudi experience in antiterror- for peaceful protest is whether a government
media, is vital to Saudi policy ism and other criminal rehabilitation through indiscriminately kills nonviolent civilians in
concerns—pursuant to both social media. However, social media–orga- significant numbers. For example, in August
national and internal security. The nized protests by Israelis due to economic 2011, after many months of Syrian military
evolution of Saudi security policy on com- hardship may possibly lead to greater Israeli actions against civilian protesters, Saudi
munication and social media is being derived compassion for Palestinian economic hard- Arabia, followed by Bahrain and Kuwait,
to a significant extent from recent external ship under occupation. withdrew their ambassadors, while King
precedents, particularly government actions Abdullah requested that the Syrian “killing
in the United States and Great Britain, as Lessons from Israel and Great Britain machine” be stopped.5
well as India, Israel, and other countries. The By mid-2011, the Israeli government Thus, the Kingdom’s leadership has
consensus among such countries appears to be faced public protests, which were brought been observing developments in Israel as a
that antiterrorism and other anticrime objec- about by widespread economic depriva- test of social media’s effectiveness in organiz-
tives, including public safety, civil order, and tion. Some estimate over a quarter million ing nonviolent protest to create significant
governmental alleviation of economic hard-
ship, take precedence over political notions
such as democracy. mounting evidence of resentment driven by social media—
Despite broadly analogous restrictions by Israelis inside Israel against Israeli settlers in the occupied
under American, British, Indian, and Israeli territories—may have a powerful, positive impact on
laws and government actions, some in the
West seem to romanticize social media as a
Middle East peace
tool for protest in Saudi Arabia. It is there-
fore ironic that by mid-2011, social media Israelis participated in protests at some shifts in security and economic policy. Since
in America, Europe, and Israel expedited point—similarly organized by cell phone Palestinian welfare and fair treatment are
the organization of large illegal protests by and social media, particularly Facebook.1 An among Saudi Arabia’s vital interests, there are
citizens against their own governments, editorial in London’s Financial Times stated, two social media questions that matter to the
as a function of economic deprivation that “a perception that too many people cannot national security interests of both Israel and
could not be adequately resolved by political make ends meet, or even live in outright Saudi Arabia:
activities associated with democracy. In recent poverty, motivates Israelis as it did Tunisians
years, Saudi government policies have focused and Egyptians in January and February. . . . ■■ Will orthodox Jews, Israeli Palestin-
on economic development intended in part [I]t is evident that public spending on educa- ians, and Palestinians in the occupied territo-
to address the concerns of its citizens, which tion and healthcare is low partly because ries seize the historic opportunity to organize
has so far tangentially preempted widespread the [Israeli] government’s military budget together via social media to create meaningful
social media–organized unrest that other is so high. Nothing better illustrates how nonviolent protests against Israel’s pro-settler
countries have begun to experience. a peace deal with the Palestinians would funding policies that are a root cause of
This article argues that Saudi Arabia and benefit Israeli society as a whole.”2 Among economic deprivation for Israel’s majority of
many other nations have found that commu- the poorest are Israel’s Arab citizens and civilians living outside of settlements and those
nication access, particularly including social orthodox Jews.3 Another commentator in the living inside the occupied territories?
media and the Internet generally, may both Financial Times points out that Israeli dis- ■■ Would Israel be motivated to change
facilitate and co-opt antigovernment protests content is also caused to a significant extent its policies as a result of widespread Palestinian
and criminal acts including terrorism. More- by a widespread resentment that the country social media–organized protests against eco-
over, and analogous to usage by other govern- may be under the influence of powerful, nomic deprivation of Palestinians in Israel and
ments such as those of the United States and small interest groups including Israeli settlers the occupied territories?
Israel, communication infrastructure may be in the occupied territories: the “settlers . . .
deployed by the Saudi government to track enjoy cheap, subsidized housing and benefit In any case, such protests have not
and arrest criminals, including potential from public services that are far superior to been limited to Israel and the Arab world. In
terrorists. In fact, relevant Saudi laws may be those available to Israelis living inside the early August 2011, more reverberations from
deemed analogous to U.S. national and inter- Green Line.”4 riots in Tunisia and Egypt appeared across
nal security policies upheld by Supreme Court Such mounting evidence of resentment London and other locations in the United
decisions. Saudi laws may also be broadly driven by social media—by Israelis inside Kingdom, turning several areas into “quasi-
analogous to restrictive Indian Internet laws Israel against Israeli settlers in the occupied war zones.” These events were organized by
in the world’s largest democracy. Next, the territories—may have a powerful, positive social media including Twitter and Face-
article argues that the Kingdom’s experience impact on the direction of Middle East peace. book, as well as BlackBerry Messenger.6 The
with Internet technologies is that they provide Palestinians living under far worse economic police called the unrest the worst in memory,
effective communication methods toward conditions due to Israeli occupation in the and the streets of London were flooded with
rehabilitation of terrorists and other crimi- West Bank and Gaza are presumably observ- 16,000 police officers.7
nals. The analysis concludes by observing ing the large Israeli protests and contemplat- At the height of the 2011 London riots,
that America and other countries may wish to ing their own moves. Of course, one concern which seem to be known as Britain’s “intifada
n d u p res s .ndu.edu issue 65,2 d quarter 2012 / JFQ 39
COMMENTARY | Saudi Security and Enforcement Policies
of the underclass,” one of Prime Minister Great Britain, the Kingdom announced $35 grow over the long term, rather than Western
David Cameron’s former advisors pointed billion in government spending for unemploy- notions of democracy or peace.19
out that the rioting youth “have nothing to ment benefits, housing subsidies, and other
lose and nothing to gain.”8 British rioters social programs. With these developments Social Media Impacts on Saudi Security
believed that their lives were going nowhere in mind, Saudi policies continue to address Laws
because they were “further than ever from economic security—and by logical extension, In 2009, the Federal Bureau of Investiga-
the sort of wealth that makes them adults. A social media as a function of national and tion (FBI) arrested a social worker for using
career, a home of your own—the things that internal security—which would appear to be Twitter by spreading information to protesters
can be ruined by riots—are out of sight.”9 One roughly analogous to conclusions reached by about American police movements at the
woman who carried a television out of a store Israel and Great Britain. Group of 20 summit of global leaders in the
justified her action by stating, “I’m taking my Ultimately, Western leaders do not United States. It turned out that while pro-
taxes back.”10 want to see “social media” sources organize testers were using social media to try to help
According to an editorial in the Finan- large protests erupting in Riyadh or down- other protesters escape arrest, the police were
cial Times in early August 2011, the govern- town Beijing. The serious risk is that Western also monitoring the social media site to keep
ment “lost control of England’s streets. [The oil traders and other Western financiers informed about protesters. The protester who
unrest] has exploded into an orgy of arson, could get nervous due to miscalculations of was arrested claimed that the FBI wanted to
looting and feral violence which has spread risk—causing oil prices to skyrocket—and crush “dissent.”20
through the capital and to other English Western economies could finally collapse. Protesters and pundits in other
countries may also make false claims about
crushing dissent when, as in the United
when established governments fall, violence and instability States, Great Britain, and other countries, the
may grow over the long term, rather than Western notions of government imperative is to protect civilians
from protesters who may turn violent. This
democracy or peace
extends to the Saudi government’s objective to
monitor and defeat the use of social media in
cities. . . . The government must now do what According to a report, curiously entitled any potential terror-related or illegal means,
is necessary to regain control of the nation’s “America Fears the Great Brawl of China,” which broadly parallels U.S. security policies
streets.”11 Cameron tackled the threat of there are an “estimated 18,000 riots, strikes upheld by Supreme Court decisions.
social media, stating during an emergency and protests that break out in China” A 2010 Supreme Court decision, Holder
parliamentary session: “Everyone watching each year.15 Consider the global economic v. Humanitarian Law Project,21 made clear
these horrific actions will be struck by how destruction if such unrest were to become that almost all types of support for groups
they were organized via social media,” noting much more organized through social media labeled as terrorists are banned,22 apparently
the government’s need to “stop people com- or other Internet facilities.16 According to even if the support may turn out to be advice
municating via these Web sites and services one Western media dispatch on China, favoring nonviolence. In 2008, the U.S. Gov-
when we know they are plotting violence, “Since the nationwide student-led protests ernment started an investigation leading to
disorder and criminality. . . . Free flow of of 1989, the educated urban elite has mostly that court case when activists began planning
information can be used for good. But it can been politically quiescent. But the party fears to hold large demonstrations against war.23
also be used for ill. And when people are using them far more than it does unruly farmers Analogous to the U.S. Supreme Court’s
social media for violence, we need to stop or migrants. Beijing’s center was flooded decision in Holder v. Humanitarian Law
them.”12 According to Cameron, the British with police earlier this year when calls for an Project, the Kingdom restricts those who
government would not be deterred by “phoney Arab-style ‘jasmine revolution’ circulated on might try to provide any type of support
human rights concerns.”13 Beyond such dec- the internet.”17 for terrorists, including communication,
larations, one mainstream British publication A postscript on developments in Libya whether by social media or other means. Also
observed that the London rioters were able to makes clear that economic deprivation is at analogous to FBI investigations, the Saudi
“terrorize” their own countrymen, and that the root of instability and may not necessar- government has been known to monitor
the government considered deploying the ily alter circumstances by simply changing groups in the Kingdom, or communications
British army into the streets.14 regimes. According to Anthony Cordesman, about the Kingdom focused on various types
Thus, Saudi Arabia’s security policy on “We need to recognize that Libya—like all of of innocent-sounding “rights,” particularly
communication including the Internet and the other states that have become increasingly when such rights may turn out to involve any
social media may need to evolve in this direc- unstable since early 2011—is not going to type of communication or support whatsoever
tion as well, with contingency plans for Saudi suddenly emerge with stable politics, effec- with respect to terrorism.
military deployment to protect the people and tive governance, security and human rights Consider the following. In mid-June
in support of the Kingdom’s other security for its people, or an economy that offers jobs, 2011, the Washington Post published a report
and law enforcement institutions. At the same development, and a fair share of the nation’s on FBI raids of homes belonging to labor
time, it is crucial to note that in early 2011, income.”18 The risk is that when established organizers and peace activists.24 The Ameri-
before the protests broke out in Israel and governments fall, violence and instability may can activists appear to have publicly
40 JFQ / issue 65, 2 d quarter 2012 ndupres s . ndu. edu
Al-SAud
criticized—including via social media— Organization support for the rebels including ing the print media) and Internet sites (includ-
American foreign policy toward South strategic bombing, access to drones and other ing blogs) are restricted from “damaging
America and the Middle East. They claimed intelligence, and other assistance.) the country’s public affairs,” or delivering
that the U.S. Government was using antiter- San Francisco’s local government deter- insults to senior clerics, or “inciting divisions
rorism policies as a pretext to target them mined that it had a legal right to turn off cell between citizens,” among other violations.36
for their political opinions.25 The FBI was phone service on its property under a 1969 Also analogous to Indian law and the Supreme
looking toward the possibility that these citi- ruling by the Supreme Court in Brandenburg Court’s holding in Holder v. Humanitarian
zens may have provided “material support”— v. Ohio.31 In this case, the Supreme Court Law Project, Saudi proposed laws pending in
which the citizens denied—for Palestinians decided that a government may stop speech the Shura Council would punish anyone who
and Colombians on U.S. Government terror that could incite activity considered unlaw- may be supporting terrorism by any means,
suspect lists.26 Most of the Americans raided ful (beyond merely advocating violence).32 such as “harming the interests of the state” or
were non-Muslim and, according to one of In 2011, mass violence apparently did not “endangering national unity.”37
their lawyers, were “public non-violent activ- occur within San Francisco’s transportation In Saudi Arabia, activism online has
ists with long, distinguished careers in public system, but the local government believed that thus far not created significant challenges to
service, including teachers, union organiz- violence might possibly occur imminently if the Royal family or the rest of the govern-
ers and antiwar and community leaders.”27 it did not cut off communication. Thus, even ment. For example, a “day of rage” organized
Thus, Saudi Arabia’s national security and in America, as in Saudi Arabia, it is legal for a via social media, including Facebook, fizzled
internal security approaches do not appear government institution to cut off communica- out.38 In any case, King Abdullah has ensured
to be more restrictive than the U.S. Govern- tion in the interests of public safety and secu- that newspapers, and by implication social
ment’s deployment of FBI raids on American rity if there is a chance that it could prevent media, have considerable freedom to question
activists and organizers who have used social protests that might possibly lead to violence— religious clerics, discuss the rights of women,
media to spread political opinions criticizing if considered to be imminent—whether or not report on police abuse, and so forth. Thus, for
U.S. foreign policy and possibly implicating violence later occurs. example, religious clerics may be criticized or
“material support” for terror suspects. Analogous to the Supreme Court ruling questioned in public media or forums, but not
Even apart from terrorism, public in Brandenburg, other nations including personally attacked.39
safety is a paramount concern for govern-
ment entities that may need to take action by
monitoring communication, whether through Saudi Arabia would be willing to advise Western institutions
social media or analogously by cell phone. For on structuring effective social media programs to rehabilitate
example, in mid-August 2011, San Francisco a broad spectrum of violent criminals
transportation officials turned off cell phone
underground service for several hours in
order to maintain public safety by stopping a Saudi Arabia and India place restrictions on When foreigners aim to influence
planned protest discovered on the Web site of speech that may possibly be communicated events under a particular nation’s control,
a protest organizer.28 to incite unlawful activity—whether by whether by social media or otherwise, that
Some in the United States compared social media or other means. In mid-2011, nation may take it upon itself to expel or repel
the San Francisco transportation agency for example, India issued Internet rules such foreigners. By further extrapolation, a
strategy of temporarily cutting off cell phone to strengthen security and place limits on nation may request assistance from another
use to former President Hosni Mubarak’s information, including content that might in such security matters—as Bahrain had
strategy of cutting off Internet and cell phone be considered “insulting” or “blasphemous” to ask for Saudi assistance in 2011—due to
services in order to quell protests by the or “harmful” to any country.33 Indian cyber concerns about the disruptive influence of
Egyptian people.29 Other research indicates cafés, Web sites, and search engines may be foreigners that would appear to have been
that Mubarak may have made a mistake in liable to the government for any offending greater national security threats than those
doing so. When Egyptian cell phone and Internet content, including social media. faced by Israel from self-proclaimed Western-
Internet services were disrupted on January According to the Indian government, its ers aiming to visit Palestinian lands under
28, 2011, unrest apparently increased instead rules weigh security and freedom, deriving occupation and use social media to spread
of decreased. The cutoff caused more civilians inspiration from laws in other democratic international awareness.
to become aware and interested, while more countries.34 According to the deputy minister
people became involved in communicating responsible for information technology and Saudi Social Media Strategies
face-to-face with greater street presence, and communication, Sachin Pilot, “We must draw While the Western approach toward
communication became more decentralized a distinction between freedom of expression violence caused by social media substantially
and harder to control than simply large gath- and freedom of expression with intent to concentrates on punishment,40 a separate
erings in Tahrir Square.30 (In contrast to the harm or defame someone.”35 example of the Saudi government’s social
situation in Egypt involving communication Analogous to both Indian law and the media approach to counterterrorism is the
cutoff, the Libyan uprising may have been Supreme Court’s holding in Brandenburg, Sakina program, which has achieved consid-
relentless largely due to North Atlantic Treaty under Saudi law, mainstream media (includ- erable success in persuading radically inclined
n d u p res s .ndu.edu issue 65,2 d quarter 2012 / JFQ 41
COMMENTARY | Saudi Security and Enforcement Policies
youth toward moderation.41 The program solve the problems of violent extremism, cms/s/0/51d9fb8e-c40d-11e0-b302-00144feabdc0.
is run by a nongovernmental organization clever technology and algorithms are only a html#ixzz1UoSVXGLC>.
supported by the Interior Ministry, Educa- sideshow.”44 The Saudi approach to antivio-
3
Bronner.
4
Buck.
tion Ministry, and Islamic Affairs Ministry. lence programs does not rely on social media 5
Roula Khalaf, Abeer Allam, and Daniel
Sakina’s religious experts deploy social media programs alone, but further deploys highly
Dombey, “Arab nations move to isolate Assad,”
to hold online discussions in chat rooms with qualified experts, along with available reha- Financial Times, August 8, 2011, available at <www.
people who initially seem to support extremist bilitation programs and incentives for success. ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b113ccf6-c1d3-11e0-bc71-
views. The experts aim to ask online extrem- Tangentially, given the importance 00144feabdc0.html#axzz1UTfSwn3f>.
ist sympathizers why they seem to believe in of Palestinian welfare to Saudi national 6
John F. Burns, “Cameron Deploys 10,000
religious violence, and then the experts point security, the Kingdom’s policies may develop More Police,” The New York Times, August 9, 2011,
out how those views contradict the peaceful in the direction of supporting social media available at <www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/world/
teachings of Islam. to provide similar success in encouraging europe/10britain.html>.
Such dialogues via social media have Israelis, Palestinians, and other Arabs to get
7
Ibid.
had a multiplier effect against violence due to know each other at least initially over the
8
Danny Kruger, “The intifada of the under-
class,” Financial Times, August 9, 2011, available at
to their perpetual availability online where Internet while discussing sports, photography,
<www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fac0b38e-c1d1-11e0-bc71-
others can read and share them. Violence in and other common interests—including peace
00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1Ucj9wG7E>.
the Kingdom has been drastically reduced prospects.45 These days, physical interactions 9
Ibid.
since authorities started becoming involved between Palestinians and Israelis tend to be 10
Ibid.
in such social media. Saudi advice has been constricted to army checkpoints.46 At least one 11
“London’s week of humiliation” (edito-
sought by numerous other Arab countries Facebook site appears to encourage peaceful rial), Financial Times, August 9, 2011, available at
wishing to structure similar antiviolence coexistence, as Israeli President Shimon Peres <www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a5a50ba6-c277-11e0-9ede-
social media programs.42 and the President of the Palestinian Authority 00144feabdc0.html#axzz1UcaQpPMR>.
One analyst in the West observed that both posted welcome messages.47 Behold the
12
Anthony Faiola, “London Riots: Britain
the Sakina program has “international appeal” future of Middle East peace. Weighs Personal Freedoms Against Need to Keep
as it draws audiences and interaction through- Order,” The Washington Post, August 11, 2011,
available at <www.washingtonpost.com/world/
out the Middle East as well as the West and Conclusion
europe/britain-weighs-personal-freedoms-against-
particularly the United States.43 It thus stands It is worth noting that social media are
need-to-keep-order/2011/08/11/gIQAMTOS8I_
to reason that if asked, Saudi Arabia would increasingly being used by Arabs and Israelis story.html>; also see Ravi Somaiya, “In Britain, a
be willing to advise Western institutions on to promote communication toward peaceful Meeting on Limiting Social Media,” The New York
structuring effective social media programs to coexistence. Such efforts deserve support as Times, August 25, 2011, available at <www.nytimes.
rehabilitate a broad spectrum of violent crimi- an evolving part of Saudi security policy on com/2011/08/26/world/europe/26social.html>.
nals typically indigenous to and rampant in social media, particularly if some of the many 13
David Cameron as quoted in “Banyan:
the West—not merely limited to terrorists. Israelis now protesting their government’s What’s Schadenfreude in Chinese? Disarray in
Coincidentally, by late June/early July economic deprivation also use social media the West generates mixed reactions in Asia,” The
2011, several mainstream Western media to help Palestinians under occupation travel Economist, August 20, 2011, available at <www.
(not just social media) reports appeared to Tel Aviv to protest economic deprivation economist.com/node/21526398>.
14
“Anarchy in the UK: A bout of violent
concerning Google’s self-proclaimed “idea” without access to meaningful careers, decent
mindlessness that has shaken Britain’s sense of
to try using social media against extremists. housing, world-class health care, or education.
self—and may be exportable,” The Economist,
Curiously, Saudi Arabia’s preexisting Sakina Ultimately, further development toward well- August 13, 2011, available at <www.economist.com/
program was not emphasized. But at least targeted Saudi-supported social media policies node/21525891>.
one of the leaders of the new Google project could catalyze profound achievements toward 15
Jamil Anderlini, “America fears the great
was formerly with the U.S. Department of Middle East peace. JFQ brawl of China,” Financial Times, August 23, 2011,
State. Is it possible that State Department available at <www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0234ddf2-ccb3-
personnel who now work with social media 11e0-b923-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1VwpHByAu>.
against extremism may not be aware of highly 16
See “Poison protests: A huge demonstration
successful preexisting Saudi social media NoteS over a chemical factory unnerves officials,” The
programs against extremism? It would appear Economist, August 20, 2011, available at <www.
1
Tobias Buck, “Swelling list of demands fuels economist.com/node/21526417>.
that top individuals in the Kingdom may
Israel protests,” Financial Times, August 9, 2011, 17
“Rising power, anxious state: Tensions
need to be more high profile in deploying
available at <www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b9d9c08-c299- between China’s prosperous middle classes and its
mainstream media to proclaim the success of 11e0-9ede-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1Ucfg3kNo>; poor will make it a harder country to govern,” The
particular Saudi policies, especially pertain- Ethan Bronner, “Spirit of Middle East Protests Economist, June 23, 2011, available at <www.econo-
ing to broad social media access and effective Doesn’t Spare Israel,” The New York Times, July 19, mist.com/node/18866989?story_id=18866989>.
nonviolence programs. 2011, available at <www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/ 18
Anthony H. Cordesman, “Next Steps in
As one mainstream European media world/middleeast/20israel.html>. Libya (Egypt, Tunisia, and Other States with New
source pointed out about the new Google 2
“Indignant in Israel” (editorial), Financial Regimes),” Center for Strategic and International
social media antiextremist program, “to Times, August 11, 2011, available at <www.ft.com/ Studies, Washington, DC, August 22, 2011, available
42 JFQ / issue 65, 2 d quarter 2012 ndupres s . ndu. edu
Al-SAud
at <https://csis.org/publication/next-steps-libya- <www.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/opinion/
egypt-tunisia-and-other-states-new-regimes>. wrong-answers-in-britain.html>.
19
See Vali Nasr, “If the Arab Spring Turns
Ugly,” The New York Times, August 27, 2011, avail-
41
See “Saudi rehabilitation program
extends into cyberspace,” Saudi Embassy
NEW
able at <www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/opinion/ Daily Press Review, Washington, DC, from NDU Press
sunday/the-dangers-lurking-in-the-arab-spring. December 18, 2009. for the
html>. 42
Ibid. Center for Transatlantic Security Studies
20
Colin Moynihan, “Arrest Puts Focus on Pro- 43
Ibid.
testers’ Texting,” The New York Times, October 5, 44
“Of skinheads and jihadists:
2009, available at <www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/ Their hatred may be different, but it has
nyregion/05txt.html>. similar roots,” The Economist, June 30, TransaTlanTic
January 2012
21
Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, 130 S. 2011, available at <www.economist.com/ National Defe
nse Universit
y
current
Ct. 2705 (2010). node/18895448?story_id=18895448&CFI
About the Auth
NATO Reassu
22
See Peter Wallstein, “Activists cry foul over D=173283910&CFTOKEN=87526150>. Hans Binnen
for Research
dijk is Vice Preside
and Applied
ors
nt
ran
Nuclear Reduct ce and
Creating the Co ions:
Learning at
the National
University, Theodo Defense
FBI probe,” The Washington Post, June 13, 2011, See Ethan Bronner, “Virtual Bridge
re Roosevelt
45 Chair in Nation
and Director
for National
al Security Policy,
of the Institu
te nditions
Strategic Studie by Hans Binn
Catherine McArd
Professor Emerit le Kelleher is
s. endijk and Cath
erine McArdle
Kelleher
available at <www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ Allows Strangers in Mideast to Seem Less
Research at us of Strateg
the Naval War ic
T
and Senior Fellow College
Institute for in the Watson
International he first point in
at Brown Univer Studies the preface of the
sity.
(NATO) Strategi North Atlantic
Treaty Organiz
activists-cry-foul-over-fbi-probe/2011/06/09/ Strange,” The New York Times, July 9, 2011, avail-
c Concept reconfir ation
tions to defend ms the bonds between
Key Points quirement by some
one another under
Article 5. This was
NATO na-
◆◆ The NATO Central and Eastern a response to the
Strategic Concep European (CEE) re-
t Article 5 remains states that reassura
reconfirms the
commitment
fully operative. The nce of
fourth point in
AGPRskTH_story.html>. able at <www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/world/
Article 5 remain that the goal of creating the preface commit
s fully operat
ive. the conditions for s NATO to
It also commi
ts the Allianc further reductio a world free of nuclear
goal of creatin e to the ns of U.S. nonstra weapons.1 This
g conditions tegic nuclear weapon includes
further reducti for rope. It also implies s (NSNW ) deploye
mutual reductio
STUD IES
ons in nonstra d in Eu-
nuclear weapo tegic ns and closer coopera
In this paper, we
Ibid. middleeast/10mideast.html?_r=1&emc=eta1>.
ns (NSNW). A tive relations with
23 undertake an ambitio
issue in making key Russia.
further reducti 5 reassurance in us research effort
will be reassur ons creating conditi to examine Article
ing Allies that ons for further
ing so can enhanc do- effort includes NSNW reducti
member states, e the security of a series of intervie
ws with critical
ons. This research
C SECU RITy
including Centra NATO capitals leaders in Washin
and Eastern l , and Moscow.2
Ibid. Ibid.
European (CEE) gton, DC,
24 46 ◆◆ Future NATO
and reassurance
NSNW reducti
Allies.
ons
The task for NATO
the Allies and reset
, we argue, will
be to find the right
can be under- with Russia to mix of reassura
taken if they create the conditio nce for
are carefully ductions on the ns for additional
trated, which orches- part of both NATO NSNW re-
would involve and Russia. Measur
Ibid. Ibid.
might be seen
25 47
dertaking a set un- es to reassure NATO
TRAN SATL ANTI
of balanced by Russia as assertive Allies
designed to steps and requiring Russian
reassure CEE including mainten military prepara
continuing to states; ance of their NSNW tion,
promote opport Russia and mutuall systems. Measur
ties to reset
relations with uni- y reduce NSNW es to build confide
and making Russia; systems might be nce with
ening Alliance seen by some Allies
Ibid.
those capabilities or resolve
secure, and sustainsystems safe,
26 ◆◆ The task for
able.
The Chan
and hence underm
ining Article 5
as weak-
reassurance.
NATO will be
to find ging Nature
the right mix
of reassurance of Nuclear Reas
Allies and reset for Reassurance has surance
CENT ER FOR
with Russia to been at the core
27
Ibid.
ate the conditi cre- of NSNW deploym
ons for additio the mid-1950s. ents in Europe
NSNW reducti nal NSNW—groun since
ons d-, air-, and
both NATO and on the part of Europe to offset sea-based—we
Russia. what was seen as re introduced
al force superio overwhelming in
rity, and thus to Soviet/Warsaw
Pact convention-
demonstrate reassura
28
Terry Collins, “San Francisco transit agen-
www.ndu.ed nce that Europe
u/inss would not
TransaTla
nTic curr
enT no. 2
1
cy’s cell phone shutdown: Shielding commuters or
hints of Orwell?” Associated Press, August 14, 2011, Transatlantic Current No. 2
accessed at <www.washingtonpost.com/national/
NATO Reassurance and Nuclear Reductions:
sf-transit-agencys-cell-phone-shutdown-shielding-
Creating the Conditions
commuters-or-hints-of-orwell/2011/08/13/gIQA-
jqbfDJ_story.html>. Hans Binnendijk and Catherine McArdle
29
Ibid. Kelleher interview critical leaders to
30
Noam Cohen, “In Unsettled Times, Media examine how to reassure North Atlantic
Can Be a Call to Action, or a Distraction,” The New Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies in
York Times, August 28, 2011, available at <www.
creating conditions for further reductions
nytimes.com/2011/08/29/business/media/in-times-
in nonstrategic nuclear weapons (NSNW)
of-unrest-social-networks-can-be-a-distraction.
html>.
deployed in Europe. They note that the
31
Zusha Elinson, “After Cellphone Action, NATO Strategic Concept reconfirms the
BART Faces Escalating Protests,” The New York bonds between NATO nations under
Times, August 20, 2011, available at <www.nytimes. Article 5 and commits the Alliance to
com/2011/08/21/us/21bcbart.html>. pursue further NSNW reductions. The
32
Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969). authors find that future reductions can be
33
Rama Lakshmi, “India’s new Internet rules undertaken along with reassurance to Al-
criticized,” The Washington Post, August 1, 2011, lies if they are carefully orchestrated and
available at <www.washingtonpost.com/world/ balanced. The task for NATO will be to
indias-new-internet-rules-criticized/2011/07/27/
find the right mix of reassurance for Al-
gIQA1zS2mI_story.html>.
lies and a reset of relations with Russia to
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid.
create conditions for reductions. Toward
36
“Nothing liberal yet: The Saudi rulers are this end, they recommend seven sets of
running against the Arab grain of freedom,” The measures to reassure Central, Eastern,
Economist, July 30, 2011, available at <www.econo- and Southern European NATO states.
mist.com/node/21524853>.
37
Ibid.
38
Abeer Allam, “Online law curbs Saudi
freedom of expression,” Financial Times,
April 6, 2011, available at <www.ft.com/intl/
cms/s/0/25b1cad8-605c-11e0-abba-00144feab49a.
html#axzz1QVUD9nEF>.
39
Ibid.
40
See “Wrong Answers in Britain” (editorial),
Visit the NDU Press Web site
for more information on publications
The New York Times, August 17, 2011, available at at ndupress.ndu.edu
n d u p res s .ndu.edu issue 65, 2 n d quarter 2012 / JFQ 43
