Against All Odds: Relations Between NATO and the MENA Region - Operation Unified Protector, Mediterranean Dialogue, Libya, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) might not be the first region that comes to mind when one contemplates the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To many, the Alliance was founded largely to unite Europe and North America, and to counter threats emerging from the Soviet bloc. The end of the Cold War changed these assumptions — not least to be proven by NATO's Operation in Libya in 2011, sanctioned by the League of Arab States.

This monograph describes how the region has moved from the rim of the Alliance's security perspective toward a more nuanced vision that recognizes the region's role in an ever-changing and more-complex world. NATO has understood the security implications emerging from the changes taking place among its southern neighbors and the need for dialogue and cooperation. The monograph gives not only an overview of the different frameworks of cooperation that NATO has with the Middle East and North Africa, but also explains their evolution and potential.

As the Arab world is undergoing change on an unprecedented scale, NATO's need for dialogue and exchange with this part of the world is even more important than before. Yet, there are obstacles along the way: burdened by historical precursors, NATO's strategic communication, and the use of antagonistic rhetoric tapping into the Clash of Civilizations, the Alliance faces a number of challenges in its cooperation with its southern partners.