Preventing non-state actors from gaining access Whereas military preparations as an option of last resort may be necessary, theThe proliferation of WMD and ballistic missiles in the Middle East and the Mediterranean is generally considered by Western officials and analysts as a destabilising development. There are a number of measures and initiatives that NATO, the EU and the West in general could undertake in order to improve the prospects for security and stability in the Mediterranean and the Middle East: a) The U.S. and Europe need to develop effective crisis management capabilities to cope with crises in the region b) The EU is the actor which is best placed to deal with the socio-economic problems of the Mediterranean and ensure that they do not escalate into major crises requiring military action c) Whereas military preparations as an option of last resort may be necessary, the emphasis should be on traditional nonproliferation methods d) to WMD should constitute a high priority for Western countries and, indeed, the whole international community.

Read the conclusion chapter from the book “Countering the proliferation of weapons mass destruction“.