Democratic Palestine : 12 (ص 24)
غرض
- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 12 (ص 24)
- المحتوى
-
Gulf Cooperation Council -
ee
Survival Plan for Reactionary Dynasties
The following is an article contributed to «Democratic Palestine» by the Committee for the Revolution in
Oman and the Arab Gulf (KROAG) in Denmark, an anti-imperialist organization supporting the revolutio-
nary forces in the Gulf, especially the People’s Front for the Liberation of Oman. We thank these com-
rades for their active interest and contribution, and publish the article in their name.
Since its formation in 1981, the Gulf Cooperation Council
has emphasized «self-reliance» as its main characteristic.
However, reality proves that the GCC is merely part of the
aggressive strategy of the US imperialism in the Gulf area.
«Gulf security should be shouldered by the people of the
Gulf alone, and foreign troops, no matter how friendly they
coud be, no matter what pretext they may use, are not in line
with the interests of the Gulf»(1). This statement was made in
1983 by Abdullah Bishara, General Secretary of the GCC. The
six member countries - Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar,
the Emirates and Kuwait - have often repeated these words,
but what does it mean in practice?
The idea of uniting the Gulf states in a military pact is not
new. The regimes’ fundamental common interest in keeping
each other in power is the basis for their close cooperation
which must also be seen in light of US interests in the Gulf. To
maintain the political status quo is of vital importance for the
imperialist countries because of their need for oil. In addition,
the area has become a cornerstone in the military strategy of
the US to control the whole Middle East. Thus imperialism and
Gulf regimes share a common goal in crushing any possible
threat to «stability» in the area.
The «Carter Doctrine»
Following the Iranian revolution, Carter, US President at
the time, formulated a new strategy for US policy to replace the
so-called «Nixon doctrine». The Gulf was declared a «vital
zone» to be protected by all means, including military interven-
tion. Consequently it was decided to build a giant intervention
unit, the Rapid Deployment Force, now also known as the US
Central Command. RDF counts more than 300,000 men
primarily based in the USA. Within a week all of these troops
can be transferred to the Gulf and brought into action.
This plan depends on US access to local military bases
from where the RDF can operate.Since 1980,the US has built a
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large network of bases and other military facilities in the Gulf.
Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have become centres for
sophisticated American weapons and smaller units of RDF.
Especially Sultan Qaboos in Oman has shown his hospitality
by allowing US bases on Masirah Island, in Dhofar and the
Mussandam province.
Direct US intervention will however be decided as the last
resort. In the first place the Gulf states will try to take care of
their own security. To postpone the necessity of imperialist
intervention it is therefore crucial to strengthen the military
cooperation between the US Arabs in the area. It is within this
context the formation of the Gulf Cooperation Council and its
proclaimed «self-reliance» should be analyzed.
GCC became a reality in 1981 and from the very begin-
ning «security» was the main issue of the Council. Ata meeting
between the foreign ministers of the member states in August
1981 Saudi Arabia presented a secret report on military coop-
eration saying that: «Any threats to any state threaten the sec-
urity and safety of the other states. The responsibility of
safeguarding the security and stability of the Gulf is shouldered
not by each state separately, but by all six states» (2). This one
for all and all for one philosophy has several times been
emphasized as the label of the GCC.
«Self-reliance» has clearly been used to legitimize a milit-
ary build-up in the Gulf states, explained this way in the Saudi
report: «We must set up a Gulf force which will enable us to rely
on our own strength...The establishment of such a force
requires an increasing capacity of the armed defence
forces»(3).
Modified «self-reliance»
All member states have agreed to the Saudi document
and its opposition towards foreign military presence. As men-
tioned, this is for sure a qualified truth concerning Oman, Bah-
rain and Saudi Arabia itself. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 12
- تاريخ
- نوفمبر ١٩٨٥
- المنشئ
- Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
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