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...regional centers administered the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The center covers one the most diverse and volatile areas of the world, stretching from the western end of North Africa to the Himalayas--from Marrakech to Bangladesh. The NESA Center region includes that part of the world where the United States has the greatest number of U.S. combat troops deployed, more than 250,000 military and civilian personnel in the Central Command countries alone.
The NESA Center participating countries include (see map below):
Afghanistan Iraq Maldives Qatar The United Arab Emirates Algeria Israel Mauritania Saudi Arabia Yemen Bahrain Jordan Morocco Sri Lanka Bangladesh Kuwait Nepal Tunisia Egypt Lebanon Oman Turkey India Libya Pakistan
The NESA Center concept was both simple and controversial. It was based on the premise that Arabs and Israelis, Pakistanis and Indians, and others would come together to discuss national security issues in a neutral setting for mutually beneficial dialogue. This business model was severely tested after September 11, 2001, but has proven itself strong even during times such as the August 2006 Lebanon conflict, when we had both Israeli and Lebanese representatives attend a Combating Terrorism seminar while the conflict continued.
As both the dynamics of our region and our guidance from the Secretary of Defense changed in the post September 11, 2001 world, the NESA Center also redesigned its programs and activities. New programs on countering ideological support for terrorism, increasing and improving strategic communication and outreach to the region, and supporting other strategic goals have been implemented, with more coming in the future.
Transition and Growth
In April 2006, the Secretary of Defense appointed a new Director, Lieutenant General David W. Barno, USA (Retired). As the former Commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan (2003-2005) and Task Force Warrior that trained free Iraqi forces in Hungary (2003), he brought a new frame of reference to the Center.
When originally established, the NESA Center was under the management of the National Defense University (NDU), one of the world's premier professional military education institutions. As the Secretary of Defense sought increased regional center coordination, he made the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) the Executive Agent for all the regional centers. What has not changed for the NESA Center, however, is the association with NDU. The NESA Center is co-located with NDU and our e-mail address .edu reinforces what our participants already know, our strong commitment to providing a world-class academic environment for our discussions.
Why Focus on the NESA Region?
Many look at the NESA region and see a confusing sea of ethnic and sectarian violence sitting atop oil reserves and ask: How can the United States play a positive role? The NESA Center has a clear answer--through dialogue, building relationships, and constant communication. These are bedrock principles of the Center and are reflected in everything we do ranging from our seminars, to contact with current and former participants, to our strategic communication and outreach efforts.
But what else makes our region unique?
* A region with more than 1.8 billion people, nearly 30 percent of the world's population
* A region that is the birthplace of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism
* A region with a majority of the world's oil reserves
* A region that stretches from the Sahara to the Himalayas
* A region with four nations that have, or are suspected of developing, nuclear weapons capabilities and that have frictional relationships with some of their neighbors
* A region rife with ongoing, violent border disputes for the past half-century
* A region with two state sponsors of terrorism (Syria and Iran) as well as transnational terrorist threats such as al Qaeda
* A region where U.S. and Coalition partners have toppled two repressive regimes in the past five years
* A region that produces an overwhelming majority of the world's opium and heroin
* A region where the U.S. has more deployed than 250,000 combat troops
Responsive to U.S. Government Priorities: Test Beds for Interagency Jointness
Under the leadership of General Barno, the NESA Center has already started to expand and enhance its programs. As directed by the Secretary of Defense and other senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials, we have focused on strengthening strategic communication and outreach efforts while at the same time adhering to the academic standards that have made the Center such a well-known and respected institution in our region. For example, we established a separate office for External and Strategic Communications that handles everything...
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