U.S.- GCC Environmental Conference

 

 

In support of General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC, Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, IFPA-affiliate, National Security Planning Associates (NSPA) has organized a senior-level conference entitled Responding to Environmental Challenges on the Arabian Peninsula: A Demanding Mission for the Region's Militaries.

The two-day meeting held in Muscat, Oman on April 16-17, 2000, examined a series of significant issues related to environmental emergencies and the potential roles that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and U.S. military forces may play in responding to them. The goal of the meeting was to identify the most likely environmental challenges that could occur in the GCC states and adjacent waters, and to determine what contingency planning, specialized training, and regional agreements to cooperate might be needed to improve overall response capabilities.

 

U.S. participants were drawn from both the governmental sector and from the broader non-governmental policy community. GCC panelists and participants included GCC Chiefs of Defense Staff, Service Chiefs, and the senior-level military officials responsible for handling environmental crises, disaster response, and related national security efforts.