Libyan MP Abdel Salam Nasia affirmed that the project to establish a joint Arab military force was effectively aborted during the Arab Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2015.
In a Facebook post, Nasia recalled attending the summit alongside Speaker of the House of Representatives, Counselor Aguila Saleh. He noted that he had the opportunity to sit in Libya’s seat among Arab leaders.
During the sessions, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi proposed the creation of a joint Arab force, calling on Arab states to contribute according to their capacities. He reportedly said in Egyptian dialect: “We have everything, and I don’t want anything from you except participation.”
However, Nasia explained that the initiative faced clear opposition from certain parties. One delegate, he noted, intervened three times in an apparent attempt to derail the proposal. While he chose not to delve into specifics, Nasia emphasized that the outcome was a decision to assign the matter to the chiefs of staff from the current, previous, and upcoming summit cycles for further study—effectively freezing the initiative. “Thus,” he wrote, “the idea was buried in its cradle and laid to rest in Sharm El-Sheikh, to the relief of those who opposed its creation.”
Reflecting on the current crises in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Qatar, Nasia posed a critical question: What if that Arab force had come to life back then? He suggested that some may have believed U.S. protection would suffice, or that normalizing ties with the Israeli Occupation would guarantee sovereignty. Instead, he argued, Arab security has been left suspended between a lost opportunity and the illusion of foreign protection.
Nasia concluded with a pointed remark: “Events have proven that relying on external powers is nothing but a fragile cover. Whoever wraps themselves in America or the Zionists… remains exposed.
