AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME? Is this the start of Arab NATO plan?

On Oct. 31, the Egyptian Ministry of Defense had noted in a statement that land, naval and air forces, special forces and air defense forces from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan arrived in Egypt to take part in the military exercises alongside Egyptian troops. Lebanon and Morocco have joined the exercises as observers.

The statement said that the military exercises aim to “face common challenges and support efforts for security and stability in the region.”

Commenting on Arab Shield 1, Brig. Gen. Safwat al-Zayat, an Egyptian expert in military affairs, said that a state of anxiety prevails within the Arab region. He noted the escalating pace of military maneuvers among Arab countries or between them and countries outside the region.

Speaking to Al-Monitor over the phone, he said, “The Arab Shield 1 exercises come amid [Arab] fears of armed conflicts in the region. The situation in Yemen is deteriorating, the conflict in Syria is ongoing and the crisis in Libya is worsening.”

Arab armies don’t have a very good fighting history in the modern era, but maybe the seriousness of the current situation will force them to get serious about training, doctrine, maintenance, and individual initiative.

Maybe.