With new agreement, Islamabad is upping the ante |
Israel has demonstrated through its bombing campaign of Iran-linked targets that it would accept no restraints in protecting what it regards as its legitimate security interests. Meanwhile, the US has made clear the limits on its security guarantees to its West Asian allies. In this new security landscape, three key players — Riyadh, Ankara and Islamabad — have come together to sign a mutual defence pact. The “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement” marks a shift away from the US security umbrella and towards greater self-reliance. This landmark pact borrows elements of Article 5 of the NATO charter, including its collective security clause.
Both treaties mandate that an armed attack against any one of their member countries will be regarded as an attack against them all. However, there has been no clarification from Brussels or Ankara on how they will reconcile their collective security responsibilities under the Atlantic Charter with simultaneous responsibilities that may arise from the Mecca Agreement. For example, if Israel strikes a Saudi nuclear fuel enrichment facility, Turkey will be required by the Mecca Agreement to respond. If that leads to hostilities........