The Resilience of National Security to Emerging Risks - Essay Example

The Resilience of National Security to Emerging Risks Name Course Instructor Date The Resilience of National Security to Emerging Risks The United Arab Emirates government has shown its resilience to the return of great power competition to the international system. As such, the national security council of UAE has held several security meetings as a consequence of the growing security concern among other Middle East States. The national Security Council of UAE also recognizes that this is not the only emerging security risk in the next decades but international politics have also shaped cold war against the UAE dominance both economically and in terms of military (Naville-Jones 2014). The national security has also highlighted the crisis in Syria, Iraq, rise of ISIL and the risk of pandemics and the series of cyber attacks as the emerging security concerns. As such, the United Arab Emirates has laid strategies on how to handle this ever growing security concerns while investing heavily also in their security and in counter-terrorism intelligence agencies . Furthermore, the UAE has observed that Investing and protecting their economy is a major step in expressing their resilience to the emerging issue therefore ensuring their national security (Naville-Jones 2014). The UAE national security has formed partnerships with UAE ministry of interior, local, regional and international security experts and disaster management, prevention and recovery experts to come up with the strategy to counter the emerging risks. This paper therefore highlights the strategic measures that the National Security is undertaking to counter the emerging security risks that impact the United Arab Emirates (Naville-Jones 2014). Strategic measures for emerging risk of terrorism The United Arab Emirates National Security has continued to asses Al Qaeda, terrorists inspired by its philosophy and its affiliates as the principal threat. Al Qaeda has associates in Yemen, Iraq and Somalia through which it can direct its influence on others. These terrorist groups have continued exploiting failed and fragile states in the world thus providing them with the necessary ground for carrying out their activities (Naville-Jones 2014). The UAE national security has closely monitored the situation. It has sent its military to those areas to increase pressure on the terrorists. As such, the core of the Al Queda is under increased pressure and the military actions have weakened Al Queda and other terrorists around the place but have not destroyed them all. Also the UAE security has taken the military survivors of the war and made them training officials hence giving the rest of the United Arab Emirates military knowledge and knowhow of the terrorists’ strategies (Naville-Jones 2014). . Furthermore, the UAE has joint hands with other States and organizations with the same motive of combating this emerging and ever expanding risk. The UAE together with U.S and UN has conducted unitary attacks of these terrorists hence weakening them. This has also helped the UAE military gain more skills in handling these terrorists (Dajani 2010). International terrorists have the potential of affecting United Arab Emirates interests overseas and at home although UAE has had success in disrupting the majority of the planned attacks. The National security is also well conversed with the fact that it is pretty easier to disrupt terrorists attack than to do away with the terrorist underlying motive of carrying the attack. Therefore the National Security is well aware of the terrorist nature of not giving up hence remaining alert of any signs of terrorists act (O'Donnell 2013). Cyber Attack as Emerging Risk Cyber attack just like terrorism, is not is not just an emerging risk. Citizens, private sector and the government have been at risk of cyber attack, are at the risk of cyber attack and will be at the risk of cyber attack from both criminals and hostile states. Their acts have led to the stealing of the sensitive government and commercial information, intellectual property and identities in so to defraud people, government and organizations (Program Director on Information Security 2013). Due to these reasons, cyber security has been assessed and confirmed to be the main concern of national security risk to UAE. Cyberspace is coiled to the basics of UAE society. It’s vital to the UAE security, economy and entry to the internet, the major component of cyberspace is seen by majority as the fourth convenient, a right and a privilege. In recent years, the figure of worldwide internet users has risen by more than hundred-fold, from 16 million in 1995 to more than 1.7 billion currently (Program Director on Information Security 2013). Cyberspace attacks can have potentially disturbing real-world effects. The targets can be the government, industry, military bases, and economic rich areas including critical services, could possibly be disrupted by capable enemy. The e-government program which is a computer worm was apparently designed to aim equipment of government and to fasted passing of government information and to control information entering government system (O'Donnell 2013). Although no attempt has been made to damage the UAE has been done before. This technology is an example of the realities of the dangers of our interconnected world and how the national security is prepared to handle the issue. Terrorists make use of cyberspace to organize, influence and communicate those susceptible to radicalization (Program Director on Information Security 2013). But the UAE have a number of areas of relative gain in cyber-security already, that they can employ not only to lessen the jeopardy, but also to attract security and cost-effective opportunities. Therefore, the UAE national security has put aside money to help fund the experts that work on the plan to restrict the cyber users from assessing the UAE security portal and other important web addresses of the UAE government that can lead to leakage of UAE vital information to the hostile states and criminals (Program Director on Information Security 2013). Also the UAE national security has adopted the use of biometric and electronic national identity cards an effort that has been well appreciated by the United Nations and other states as well. The UAE government has also created the national electronic security authority (NESA) restored with the responsibility of securing the country’s national cyberspace through regulatory and technical capabilities (Program Director on Information Security 2013). International military crisis as emerging risk Although there is no state at present has the blend of potential and intention to pose a predictable military threat to the territory integrity of the UAE. History dictates that both intention and ability can change; occasionally it is a matter of only a few years. The United Arab Emirates national security aim is to discourage straight threats, including through their partnership with other nations like U.S. and their independent nuclear restriction (O'Donnell 2013). But that does not suggest that they will not have to become involved in international military catastrophe overseas if they judged that it could constitute a threat to their national wellbeing. Recent years have seen major commitments of UAE forces to military operations in the Afghanistan, Balkans and Iraq. The Government judged that UAE national wellbeing or their international farm duties were at risk. As such, the United Arab Emirates strategic wellbeing and tasks overseas can in some circumstances justify the risk or application of military force. There are also occasions where the UAE in their good takes part in humanitarian interventions (O’Donnell 2013). National security is also conversant with the fact International crisis can be stimulated by a number of sources. Alterations in regional balance of power, the decline of some powers and the rise of others can be the source of crises. Instability and conflict within failing or failed states can fall over into dispute with neighboring states (EIDA 2010). The willingness of states to obtain nuclear weapons capability could prompt armed conflict and international crises. Malign governments may wish to put forth influence that affects the security of United Arab Emirates very important networks or that could have an undesirable effect on the international system of commerce and trade upon which UAE success relies on. The scenery of crisis will time and again involve a blurring between the actions actors of states and non-state, between civilians and combatants, and between conflict and crime. Such crises can vary and arise in nature unpredictably and rapidly (EIDA 2010). Currently, it is seen that regional strugglers of power and the want of some states to get hold of nuclear weapons capabilities mounts the danger of growing crises. Unresolved sovereignty and border conflicts could ignite regional disputes and pencil in major regional powers. These scenarios can cause very noteworthy threats to international security and peace; hence United Arab Emirates tasks and interests (EIDA 2010). National security of United Arab Emirates will work with others to hunt for ways to put off such crises from developing, discourage malign forces and, in the last way out, to get involved militarily. National security therefore have preventative and stabilization activities which includes strategic intelligence capability and diplomatic action, the capability to discourage, and the capacity and will to intervene militarily where necessary. UAE has also pledged to work closely with their partners and allies at all levels of an international military crisis to help protect its states (EIDA 2010). Major natural hazards and accident as emerging risks The national security has also taken note of the civil emergencies which includes major accidents and natural disasters that can cause severe damage to the UAE. Catastrophes on the level of the historical earthquakes in Japan and the recent earthquake in the Republic of Haiti are luckily rare in UAE. However, the recent few years have seen how a series of emergencies can have considerable impacts on the capability of the United Arab Emirates’ community to go about their daily activities, on the health of UAE environment and economy (Suby 2013). The national security is also aware of the human pandemic disease risk which continues to be the highest risk they have. Influenza pandemics are natural occurrences that have taken place about four times in the previous century. As a result of speedy spread among individuals, pandemics pose worldwide human health repercussion. A pandemic can also cause wider and major economic disruption and damage (Suby 2013). The industrial accidents which can take wide variety of consequences and forms can impact considerably both in nature and scale. They can cause severe disruption to vital United Arab Emirates usefulness services such as supply of water, telecoms or energy supplies can also be a result of natural hazards. The national security is maintaining plans to minimize the effects of loss of electricity and if it does, to bring back the supply as fast as possible. The plans can be deployed whenever the cause of disruption (Suby 2013). In the unmatched circumstances of the whole electricity set of connections failing, some stations of power have the capacity to start up separately of the grid and plans are underway for serially restoring the whole network. National security is also keeping an eye on the upcoming risks, such as the possible crash of severe space weather on UAE infrastructure. UAE approach is to arrange for the cost of potential national emergencies no matter what the cause (Suby 2013). In conclusion, The four risk areas brought out in this paper are those the National Security marked as the highest priority in the emerging risks and national security should at all time be ready to act in the occurrence of any as they have laid down the Strategic plans to handle them. National Security is mandated to Strategize, mitigate and prevent the emerging risks and are the top priority ends of their strategy. Though the four risks have been highlight, action is required to tackle the other risks and the Strategy of national Security contains decisions about actions and capabilities related to them all (Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – publications 2014). s References Dajani, H.( 2010) “Camera Network to Keep the Capital under Observation,” The National, 3 March. Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA). ( 2010) “Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) Strategy,” http://www.emiratesid.ae/, accessed on 23 February. Fouad, Daad 1999 “Demographic Indicators and Family Social Security: Effects and Consequences.” Police Studies, Dubai Police General Headquarters Research and Studies Centre, No. 92, August. Government of Dubai, “Dubai Plan 2021”, http://​www.​dubaiplan2021.​ae/​dubai-plan-2021/​ Government of Dubai, The official Portal of Dubai Government, http://​www.​dubai.​ae/​en/​aboutdubai/​Pages/​DubaiHistory.​aspx Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy – publications, (2014). http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/joint-select/national-security-strategy/publications/, retrieved 03 May 2016 Neville-Jones, P., (2014). Security Issues: Interim position paper, National and International Security policy Group, Conservative Party, retrieved 03 May 2016 from http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/files/InterimSecurityIssues.pdf 183 O'Donnell, G.,(2013). Evidence to the Iraq Inquiry, Iraq Inquiry website, retrieved 03 May 2016 from http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/media/51849/20110202-odonnell-final. Suby, M. (2013). The (ISC) 2 Global Information Security Work force study by Frost and Sullivan consulting in Partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton and (ISC)2, Global Program Director on Information Security,file:///C:/Users/Marios/Downloads/ISC2-Global-Information-Security-Workforce-Study%20(3).pdf [seen on May 03, 2016]. UAE interact, (2014). Smart Dubai Strategic Plan Launched, http://​www.​uaeinteract.​com/​docs/​Smart_​Dubai_​strategic_​plan_​launched/​60399.​htm [seen on May 03 2016] UAE National Statistical Information on social issues and standings of living in the UAE, http://​www.​uaestatistics.​gov.​ae/​EnglishHome/​ReportsByDepartm​entEnglish/​tabid/​104/​Default.​aspx?​MenuId=​1&​NDId=​364 .[seen on May 03 2016] Read More