Live-Blogging the Persian Gulf Security Summit

Security Dilemmas has been selected to live-blog the Third Annual Regional Security Summit for the Persian Gulf, now known as the Manama Dialogue, sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which will take place December 8-10. According to the invitation:

The Manama Dialogue is the primary security institution in the Persian Gulf and will see the greatest ever involvement of the national security establishments of the region with key outside powers this year. As in previous years, the Dialogue will provide a unique forum for the discussion of the regional security challenges by the most senior authorities responsible for defence, foreign policy and security issues in the participating states.

The summit will be opened formally by the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Highness Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who will deliver the Keynote Address on Friday 8 December. On Saturday 9 December, the US National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, will make a key statement on US security strategy in the Persian Gulf. Delegation leaders from the other participating countries will also deliver official policy statements throughout the course of the weekend. Plenary session subjects include: “The U.S. and Gulf Security,” “Regional Perceptions of Gulf Security,” “The Gulf and the East,” “Security Guarantees and Regional Stability,” “The Situation in Iraq,” “The Gulf and Europe,” and “Iran and Outside Powers.”

This should be a fascinating look at the major security issues of the Persian Gulf. The conference organizers will be sending me summaries of the plenary sessions immediately after their conclusion, after which I will post the summaries and provide analysis.

If you want more information, you can see the draft agenda, the information sheet, or the poster.

I hope that you will join me and participate in what should be an excellent examinatioin of Gulf security issues.