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The Impact of Arab Revolution on the Security of the Arabian Gulf 136 the Yemeni Revolution As a Model

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The Impact of Arab Revolution on the Security of the Arabian Gulf 136 the Yemeni Revolution As a Model The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2356-9980.htm REPS 5,2 The impact of Arab Revolution on the security of the Arabian Gulf 136 The Yemeni Revolution as a model Received 24 February 2019 Saleh Zaid Al-Otaibi Revised 28 April 2019 Cairo University, Giza, Egypt 24 July 2019 Accepted 4 August 2019 Abstract Purpose – This study aims to analyze the impact of Arab Revolution on the Arabian Gulf security by applying on Yemeni Revolution. This can be achieved by analyzing the threat of Arab Spring Revolutions to the national security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries after the breakout of demonstrations and protests in some of the member states. In addition to its analysis of threat of the Regional Security of the Gulf as a result of Yemeni Revolution and Civil War and Iranian intervention to support Houthis within light of regional anarchy and security competition according to the Neorealism and how the GCC Countries face such threats. Design/methodology/approach – The study depended on the historical methodology to track the developments of some events related to the Gulf Security and crisis in Yemen. Moreover, it used the analytical approach to analyze the impact of Arab Revolutions and Yemeni Civil War on the Arab Gulf Security. In addition, it depended on the realistic approach to explain the security state at the national and regional level of the Arab Gulf countries within light of regional anarchy, security competition and Iranian support to Houthis “Non-State Actors” (KennethWaltz),aswellastheoffensiverealism(John Mearsheimer). Findings – The Arab Revolutions had an effect on the national security of GCC countries according to the Neorealism due to the breakout of demonstrations and protests in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Sultanate of Oman which reached to the degree of threateningtheexistenceofthestateasinBahrain. The Gulf Regional Security is influenced by Revolution and Civil War in Yemen as a result of that Iranian support to Houthis within light of security competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading to the threat of the Arabian Gulf Security as Yemen is the southern gate to the GCC Countries and having joint borders with Saudi Arabia and Sultanate of Oman. Moreover, the GCC countries dealt with that threat individually, such as, performing internal reforms, or collectively through using military force, such as Bahrain and Yemen (Offensive Realism). Originality/value – This study is an introduction to explain the Arab Spring Revolutions, conflict in Yemen and its threat to the Arab Gulf Security according to the Neorealism based on that the GCC countries sought to keep its existence and sovereignty in confrontation to the demonstrations and internal protests and to keep the regional security in confrontation to the threats of neighboring countries such as the Civil War in Yemen and the Iranian Support to Houthis in light of the regional anarchy. Keywords Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab Revolutions, The Gulf security, Yemeni Revolution Paper type Research paper Review of Economics and Political Science © Saleh Zaid Al-Otaibi. Published in Review of Economics and Political Science. Published by Emerald Vol. 5 No. 2, 2020 Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. pp. 136-148 Emerald Publishing Limited Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial e-ISSN: 2631-3561 and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full p-ISSN: 2356-9980 DOI 10.1108/REPS-02-2019-0022 termsofthislicencemaybeseenathttp://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode 1. Introduction Yemeni The Gulf region has all the essential ingredients that made it the focus of attention of the Revolution as great powers. It is located on the borders between the two Arab and Persian civilization, and a model between the Islamic civilization and Indian, Chinese and Western civilizations. Besides its natural resources and a privileged location, it has economic, political, military importance (AL-Ajmi, 2015, p. 460). The Geo-Political and Geo-Strategic importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has increased after discovering oil. The Gulf region has 137 become a conflict area among all the world powers as it contains more than two- thirds of the world’s oil reserves (Ismail, 2014, p. 8). The period of late 2010 and the beginning of 2011 has witnessed many Revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Syria and has been known as “Arab Spring” which has led to many changes in Arab regimes. These Revolutions and protesting reached the same GCC countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman). Yemen has also witnessed numerous protests against the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh; the crisis in Yemen has worsened when Saleh used violence against demonstrators. After the intervention of the Gulf Countries in the initiative to remove Saleh; a Civil War has broken out between Saleh who was allied with the Houthis and the Yemeni regime led by President Hadi. All these events in turn constituted a threat to the security of the Arabian Gulf at the national and regional levels. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the impact of Arab Revolutions and Civil War in Yemen on the security of the Arabian Gulf in light of Neorealism. 1.1 Literature review Buzan (1991) mentioned that the majority of States define their security relations from regional perspectives and not International one, even if it dealt with international issues, they tend to see those issues from a regional perspective. Buzan (1991) suggested a systematic approach for the analysis of international political issues; especially the security analysis within the territory, he concerned with the issue of security in the Neorealists whose analysis level didn’t concentrate on what is happening within the state only “National Security”; but on what is happening outside the state where anarchy, security competition and the security dilemma “international and regional security”. Meanwhile Miller (2007) asserted the inefficiency of the Classical realism theory to assimilate the regional influences on international security; which lead to the appearance of Neorealism to investigate the impact of local development (inside the state) on international and regional security, as well as the role of non-state actors in fueling regional conflicts and their impact on the global security system. In the same context, Christensen and Snyder (1993) referred that Neorealists saw that countries have a pivotal role in analyzing conflict and war relations as a source of security, and at the same time a source of threat. Baylis (2001) added that the principle of sovereignty will require States to develop military and offensive capabilities to defend themselves and expand their power, making them dangerous to each other, while Mearsheimer (2003) focused on the States’ relative distrust toward the intention of other states towards its security and interests; this makes them always in fear of each other. On the other hand, Hilal (2017) assured that conflicts and internal wars in Syria and Yemen pose a threat to the regional security of the Gulf. Alawi (2017) noted that the continuation of the internal conflict in Yemen and the Houthis’ control over many areas could create a new entity that threatens the security of the Arabian Gulf. Abdullah (2012) discussed the implications of the Arab Spring on the GCC countries and the threat to their security. REPS Al-Mansour (2009) also discussed the threat of the Arab Gulf security after the US 5,2 occupation of Iraq. Al-Essawi (2005) pointed out that the conflict of interests of the regional and international powers concerned with Gulf security has become a threat to the security of the Gulf. Al-Ajami (2006) added the impact of international variables on the security of the Gulf region. Potter and Sick (2002) discussed issues related to the security of the Arabian Gulf from several axes: the issue of foreign military presence, cultural, societal and economic 138 factors, as well as border problems. At the same time, Knights (2006) discussed the problems of Gulf security with a more comprehensive view, by proposing to enhance the security of the region by reducing dependence on the US military presence on the one hand, and strengthening mechanisms of regional security cooperation on the other. The current study is distinguished from previous studies in its analysis of the Arab Spring Revolutions and the resulting changes, especially the Revolution in Yemen and the ensuing internal conflict and Civil War; its impact on the security of the Arabian Gulf and its threat, and how the GCC countries are confronting that threat. 1.2 Research problem The issue of Gulf security is one of the most important challenges facing the GCC countries, especially in light of their understanding of the geopolitical gap with other regional parties (Iran and Iraq). The Gulf countries – with the outbreak of the Arab Spring Revolutions – felt that the security of the region was under threat; especially after protesting have been moved into the GCC Countries; especially the massive protests in Bahrain, which led to the use of Peninsula Shield Force and other protests in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that threatened their national security, besides the regional security threats to the Arabian Gulf as a result of the Yemeni Revolution and the ensuing conflicts and Civil War, it moved to the southwestern border of Saudi Arabia. In view of the threats to the national security of the GCC Countries as a result of internal protest movements; as well as threats to regional security caused by the Revolution in Yemen and its implications and Iranian intervention; the study examined the threat posed by these Revolutions and protests against the security of the Arab Gulf.
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