| NATO has launched a drive to accelerate defense and military cooperation with Arab League states. NATO officials said the Western alliance wants to begin joint exercises and other programs by the end of 2005. They said the focus would be on cooperation with Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Algeria was also deemed as the most likely North African partner of NATO in counter-insurgency operations, officials said. In 2004, Algeria's military was said to have significantly harmed the Salafist Brigade for Combat and Call, regarded as the leading subcontractor of Al Qaida. Officials said NATO wants to engage the seven-member Mediterranean Dialogue states in cooperation on counter-insurgency, training and naval patrols. They said the effort would require instruction to ensure NATO interoperability, common language and standards. The Mediterranean Dialogue states also include Israel and Jordan. |