MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 1, 2015) — U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd J.
Austin III, commander, U.S. Central Command, visited Bahrain Friday to
participate in the 2015 Manama Dialogue hosted by the International Institute
for Strategic Studies (IISS).
The three-day conference, which concluded today, brought military and political
leaders from the GCC and other international partners together to discuss
issues relevant to the Arabian Gulf region. The conference featured several
panels in which attendees first listened to participant’s statements, and then
were afforded the opportunity to ask questions.
Among the topics discussed were the counter-ISIL campaign, civil unrest in
Yemen, the crisis in Syria, and threats posed by Iran.
Austin also capitalized on the opportunity to speak on U.S. military policy in
the region and explained the top three focus areas in the CENTCOM Area of
Responsibility (AOR).
“A convergence of interests, namely the need to counter the threat posed by
Daesh and other violent extremist groups, has afforded a unique opportunity to
strengthen ties among nations and also contribute to improving stability and
security throughout the region,” said Austin. “And, we are seeing progress
being made in a number of places.”
Also in attendance were Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Crown Prince
Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Antony J. Blinken, U.S. Deputy
Secretary of State.
Between panels, Austin hosted bi-lateral meetings with military and political
leaders from several regional partner nations. These meetings give Austin the
chance to have “one-on-one” discussions about issues relevant to that specific
region.
Manama was the final stop on Austin’s most recent trip to the CENTCOM AOR.