Tunisia; New Member of Major Non-NATO Ally
By: Moaf
Tunisia’s status as a “non-NATO ally” of the United States has been approved, the US State Department said, paving the way for enhanced military cooperation between the countries. Washington hailed the partnership between the United States and Tunisia after the Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status was confirmed Friday. Major Non-NATO Ally includes 16 countries which are not like NATO but due to military cooperation, they can have some similarities with NATO members.
Such members are Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia. These countries will have cooperation with United States Secretary of Defense such as:
• Research and development of military industries
• Fighting with terrorism
• Using the process of carrying arms
• As a host for US military storage
• Getting a loan for R&D
• Having permission to use US investment in buying determined arms
• Military training
• Aerospace cooperation with US Secretary of Defense (maintenance)
The Congress recognized Israel as its strategic ally in reaction to Obama’s actions and measures. They will have some cooperation with each other such as energy and academic training. Ukraine and Hungary has been added since 2014. In Camp David 2015, it is supposed that Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar will be joined.
History shows that prior to it, such cooperation has more military aspects but anyway, concessions are given symbolically. For example, US added Tunisia as a Muslim country which toppled down dictatorship and joined democracy. Last but not least, one of the reasons that Tunisia has been added is the geopolitical position of this country, securing Israel.
