DOCSLIB.ORG

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Challenges of Establishing an Integrated Capability for Upholding Security

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Challenges of Establishing an Integrated Capability for Upholding Security View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2011-06 The Gulf Cooperation Council and the challenges of establishing an integrated capability for upholding security Almotairy, Sami F. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/5677 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL AND THE CHALLENGES OF ESTABLISHING AN INTEGRATED CAPABILITY FOR UPHOLDING SECURITY by Sami F. Almotairy June 2011 Thesis Co-Advisors: James Russell Abbas Kadhim Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Reissued 25 May 2015 with correction to author’s surname THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 2011 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Challenges of 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Establishing an Integrated Capability for Upholding Security 6. AUTHOR(S) Sami F. Almotairy 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ______NA__________. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The Gulf Cooperation Council’s abysmal performance during the last thirty years clearly demonstrates that the member-states of this alliance remain unprepared to seriously commit themselves to the establishment of a credible joint defense force able to facilitate the goal of collective security for which the GCC was established in the first place. This thesis seeks explanations as to why the GCC has made little progress in establishing mechanisms to provide collective security for its members through the lenses of neorealist theory and regime theory. Neorealist theory does explain the GCC’s stumble on the path to achieving collective security by expecting that the GCC would not succeed if there were other options for security, but it fails to explain the causes that led the GCC member-states to seek other security options. Applying regime theory in the case of the GCC will identify the GCC’s reasons for seeking other security options. This thesis hypothesizes that the GCC failed to guarantee security to its members due to its weakness as a regime, explained by regime theory, which led the GCC member-states to seek other security options provided by external power through bilateral security agreements, as predicted by neorealism. 14. SUBJECT TERMS GCC, Collective Security, Peninsula Shield, Gulf, Military, Politics, Saudi 15. NUMBER OF Arabia, and Decision-Making Process PAGES 81 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL AND THE CHALLENGES OF ESTABLISHING AN INTEGRATED CAPABILITY FOR UPHOLDING SECURITY Sami F. Almotairy Commander, Royal Saudi Naval Forces B.S., King Fahad Naval Academy, 1993 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES (DEFENSE DECISION–MAKING AND PLANNING) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 2011 Author: Sami F. Al-Motairy Approved by: James Russell Thesis Co-Advisor Abbas Kadhim Thesis Co-Advisor Harold A. Trinkunas, PhD Chair, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The Gulf Cooperation Council’s abysmal performance during the last thirty years clearly demonstrates that the member-states of this alliance remain unprepared to seriously commit themselves to the establishment of a credible joint defense force able to facilitate the goal of collective security for which the GCC was established in the first place. This thesis seeks explanations as to why the GCC has made little progress in establishing mechanisms to provide collective security for its members through the lenses of neorealist theory and regime theory. Neorealist theory does explain the GCC’s stumble on the path to achieving collective security by expecting that the GCC would not succeed if there were other options for security, but it fails to explain the causes that led the GCC member-states to seek other security options. Applying regime theory in the case of the GCC will identify the GCC’s reasons for seeking other security options. This thesis hypothesizes that the GCC failed to guarantee security to its members due to its weakness as a regime, explained by regime theory, which led the GCC member-states to seek other security options provided by external power through bilateral security agreements, as predicted by neorealism. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. ENVIRONMENT OF THREATS FOR THE GCC .....................................2 B. LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................4 C. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) ..............................................................................................................10 D. NEOREALISM THEORY AND COOPERATION ...................................11 E. NEOREALISM AND COLLECTIVE SECURITY ...................................12 F. GCC AS A REGIME .....................................................................................13 G. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................14 II. CASE STUDIES .........................................................................................................17 A. INVASION OF KUWAIT .............................................................................18 1. Official Emergence of the Crisis between Kuwait and Iraq ..........20 2. Kuwait Response to Iraqi Claims .....................................................21 3. Efforts to Settle the Dispute ..............................................................22 4. The GCC’s Role Prior to the Invasion .............................................22 5. Attempts to Solve the Crisis After July 17, 1990.............................23 6. The Jeddah Conference .....................................................................23 7. The Invasion .......................................................................................24 8. GCC’s Role After the Invasion .........................................................25 9. Saudi Arabia’s Role After the Invasion ...........................................25 10. Saudi Decision to Call on Foreign Forces ........................................26 11. GCC Role During the Military Build-Up ........................................27 12. GCC Role After the Liberation of Kuwait ......................................28 B. IRAN AS A THREAT ...................................................................................28 1. The Revolution of 1979 ......................................................................29 2. Iraq-Iran War ....................................................................................30 3. Hajj Demonstration in 1987 ..............................................................31 4. The Impact of the United States’ 2003 Invasion of Iraq ................32 5. Iran’s Rising Regional Ambitions ....................................................34 C. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................35 III. ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................37 A. FROM ESTABLISHMENT TO INVASION OF KUWAIT (1981- 1990) ................................................................................................................41 B. FROM THE LIBERATION OF KUWAIT TO THE UNITED STATES’ 2003 INVASION OF IRAQ (1991–2003) ...................................45 C. FROM THE UNITED STATES’ 2003 INVASION OF IRAQ AND ONWARD (2003–PRESENT) .......................................................................49
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Archived Content Information Archivée Dans Le
    Archived Content Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or record-keeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page. Information archivée dans le Web Information archivée dans le Web à des fins de consultation, de recherche ou de tenue de documents. Cette dernière n’a aucunement été modifiée ni mise à jour depuis sa date de mise en archive. Les pages archivées dans le Web ne sont pas assujetties aux normes qui s’appliquent aux sites Web du gouvernement du Canada. Conformément à la Politique de communication du gouvernement du Canada, vous pouvez demander de recevoir cette information dans tout autre format de rechange à la page « Contactez-nous ». CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE / COLLÉGE DES FORCES CANADIENNES NSSC 6 / CESN 6 THE STATE OF KUWAIT’S SECURITY POLICY - FACING FUTURE CHALLENGES HEAD-ON - By Colonel Abdullah A. Al-Samdan This paper was written by a student attending the Canadian Forces College in fulfillment of one of the requirements of the Course of Studies. The paper is a scholastic document, and thus contains facts and opinions, which the author alone considered appropriate and correct for the subject. It does not necessarily reflect the policy or the opinion of any agency, including the Government of Kuwait and Canada and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence. This paper may not be released, quoted or copied except with the express permission of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defence.
    [Show full text]
  • Physical Geography of Southeast Asia
    Physical Geography of SE Asia ©2012, TESCCC World Geography Unit 12, Lesson 01 Archipelago • A group of islands. Cordilleras • Parallel mountain ranges and plateaus, that extend into the Indochina Peninsula. Living on the Mainland • Mainland countries include Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos • Laos is a landlocked country • The landscape is characterized by mountains, rivers, river deltas, and plains • The climate includes tropical and mild • The monsoon creates a dry and rainy season ©2012, TESCCC Identify the mainland countries on your map. LAOS VIETNAM MYANMAR THAILAND CAMBODIA Human Settlement on the Mainland • People rely on the rivers that begin in the mountains as a source of water for drinking, transportation, and irrigation • Many people live in small villages • The river deltas create dense population centers • River create rich deposits of sediment that settle along central plains ©2012, TESCCC Major Cities on the Mainland • Myanmar- Yangon (Rangoon), Mandalay • Thailand- Bangkok • Vietnam- Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) • Cambodia- Phnom Penh ©2012, TESCCC Label the major cities on your map BANGKOK YANGON HO CHI MINH CITY PHNOM PEHN Chao Phraya River • Flows into the Gulf of Thailand, Bangkok is located along the river’s delta Irrawaddy River • Located in Myanmar, Rangoon located along the river Mekong River • Longest river in the region, forms part of the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, empties into the South China Sea in Vietnam Label the important rivers and the bodies of water on your map. MEKONG IRRAWADDY CHAO PRAYA ©2012, TESCCC Living on the Islands • The island nations are fragmented • Nations are on islands are made up of island groups.
    [Show full text]
  • The Aral Sea
    The Aral Sea edited by David L. Alles Western Washington University e-mail: [email protected] Last Updated 2011-11-4 Note: In PDF format most of the images in this web paper can be enlarged for greater detail. 1 Introduction The Aral Sea was once the world's fourth largest lake, slightly bigger than Lake Huron, and one of the world's most fertile regions. Today it is little more than a string of lakes scattered across central Asia east of the Caspian Sea. The sea disappeared for several reasons. One is that the Aral Sea is surrounded by the Central Asian deserts, whose heat evaporates 60 square kilometers (23 sq. miles) of water from its surface every year. Second is four decades of agricultural development and mismanagement along the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers that have drastically reduced the amount of fresh water flowing into the sea. The two rivers were diverted starting in the 1960s in a Soviet scheme to grow cotton in the desert. Cotton still provides a major portion of foreign currency for many of the countries along the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers. By 2003, the Aral Sea had lost approximately 75% of its area and 90% of its pre- 1960 volume. Between 1960 and January 2005, the level of the northern Aral Sea fell by 13 meters (~ 43 ft) and the larger southern portion of the sea by 23 meters (75.5 ft) which means that water can now only flow from the north basin to the south (Roll, et al., 2006).
    [Show full text]
  • Physical Geography of Southeast Asia
    Physical Geography of Southeast Asia Creating an Annotated Sketch Map of Southeast Asia By Michelle Crane Teacher Consultant for the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 Guiding Question (5 min.) . What processes are responsible for the creation and distribution of the landforms and climates found in Southeast Asia? Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 2 Draw a sketch map (10 min.) . This should be a general sketch . do not try to make your map exactly match the book. Just draw the outline of the region . do not add any features at this time. Use a regular pencil first, so you can erase. Once you are done, trace over it with a black colored pencil. Leave a 1” border around your page. Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 3 Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 4 Looking at your outline map, what two landforms do you see that seem to dominate this region? Predict how these two landforms would affect the people who live in this region? Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 5 Peninsulas & Islands . Mainland SE Asia consists of . Insular SE Asia consists of two large peninsulas thousands of islands . Malay Peninsula . Label these islands in black: . Indochina Peninsula . Sumatra . Label these peninsulas in . Java brown . Sulawesi (Celebes) . Borneo (Kalimantan) . Luzon Texas Alliance for Geographic Education; http://www.geo.txstate.edu/tage/ September 2013 6 Draw a line on your map to indicate the division between insular and mainland SE Asia.
    [Show full text]
  • GCC's DEFENSE COOPERATION
    OCTOBER 2014 GCC’s DEFENSE COOPERATION: MOVING TOWARDS UNITY By Brahim Saidy Dr. Brahim Saidy is an Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Qatar University. Before he joined Qatar University, he served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in International Relations at University of Ottawa and Laval University in Canada. He has also taught at the University of Québec in Montréal (UQAM), and the University of Sherbrooke. During the summer of 2014, Dr. Saidy was a visiting scholar at FPRI, during which time he wrote the E-Book GCC’s Unified Military Command: Severe Challenges Ahead. This E-Note is the Executive Summary. For more than 30 years, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has attempted to establish a collective defense regime to protect its six members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This ambition was expressed through a number of initiatives, beginning with the foundation of the Peninsula Shield force in 1982 and culminating in the establishment of a Unified Military Command in 2013. This latter decision represents an important reform and could be considered a crucial step in the evolution of the GCC towards deep regional integration, especially on the military side. A Unified Military Command can benefit from the various weapons systems in the Gulf, and create a new generation of Gulf officers, who take advantage of the broad similarities of the military systems and experiences of the GCC countries. In the light of the historical background of the GCC’s defense cooperation, this article aims to analyze the strategic opportunities that could be generated by the foundation of the unified military command and to explain the political challenges that could hamper the GCC countries’ attempt to evolve towards a real military alliance.
    [Show full text]
  • Paleozoic Rocks of Northern Chukotka Peninsula, Russian Far East: Implications for the Tectonicsof the Arctic Region
    TECTONICS, VOL. 18, NO. 6, PAGES 977-1003 DECEMBER 1999 Paleozoic rocks of northern Chukotka Peninsula, Russian Far East: Implications for the tectonicsof the Arctic region BorisA. Natal'in,1 Jeffrey M. Amato,2 Jaime Toro, 3,4 and James E. Wright5 Abstract. Paleozoicrocks exposedacross the northernflank of Alaskablock the essentialelement involved in the openingof the the mid-Cretaceousto Late CretaceousKoolen metamorphic Canada basin. domemake up two structurallysuperimposed tectonic units: (1) weaklydeformed Ordovician to Lower Devonianshallow marine 1. Introduction carbonatesof the Chegitununit which formed on a stableshelf and (2) strongly deformed and metamorphosedDevonian to Interestin stratigraphicand tectoniccorrelations between the Lower Carboniferousphyllites, limestones, and an&site tuffs of RussianFar East and Alaska recentlyhas beenrevived as the re- the Tanatapunit. Trace elementgeochemistry, Nd isotopicdata, sult of collaborationbetween North Americanand Russiangeol- and texturalevidence suggest that the Tanataptuffs are differen- ogists.This paperpresents the resultsof one suchstudy from the tiatedcalc-alkaline volcanic rocks possibly derived from a mag- ChegitunRiver valley, Russia,where field work was carriedout matic arc. We interpretthe associatedsedimentary facies as in- to establishthe stratigraphic,structural, and metamorphicrela- dicativeof depositionin a basinal setting,probably a back arc tionshipsin the northernpart of the ChukotkaPeninsula (Figure basin. Orthogneissesin the core of the Koolen dome yielded a
    [Show full text]
  • Oceanographic and Physiographic Controls on Modern Sedimentation Within Antarctic Fjords
    Oceanographic and physiographic controls on modern sedimentation within Antarctic fjords EUGENE W. DOMACK Geology Department, Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323 SCOTT ISHMAN U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 22092 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION biological facies distributions to observed oceanic and glaciologic regimes within bays Physical oceanographic data and modern When compared to investigations of other and fjords, and present a quantified treatment surface sediments were collected from eleven depositional systems, the study of glacial ma- of modern glacial marine sediments that were Qords along the western side of the Antarctic rine deposits and processes is still in its in- collected from the western side of the Ant- Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Surface fancy (Reading, 1986, p. 522; Dowdeswell arctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands sediment samples (62) were analyzed for tex- and Scourse, 1990; Anderson and Ashley, (Fig. 1). The data presented within this paper ture and total organic carbon content. The dis- 1991). This is partly due to the difficulty in- will also serve as a guide to interpreting the tribution of biogenic and terrigenous facies volved in conducting field studies of modern depositional record of Pleistocene/Holocene within the Qords is controlled by bay geometry environments but is also due to the real com- sequences along the Peninsula. and oceanographic regime. Climate plays a sec- plexity of glacial marine deposystems. This ondary role but, along with ice drainage basin complexity arises because of the great diver- SETTING size, controls the rate of terrigenous supply to sity of sediment sources and processes that the glacial marine environment. Specifically, introduce and redistribute sediment compo- The western margin of the Antarctic Pe- Qords along the Danco Coast and Palmer Ar- nents in the glacial marine realm (Syvitski, ninsula represents an area where climatic chipelago with a high length to width ratio tend 1989).
    [Show full text]
  • Rising to Iran's Challenge
    RISING TO IRAN’S CHALLENGE GCC Military Capability and U.S. Security Cooperation Michael Knights Policy Focus 127 | June 2013 THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY RISING TO IRAN’S CHALLENGE GCC Military Capability and U.S. Security Cooperation Michael Knights Policy Focus 127 | June 2013 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. © 2013 by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Published in 2013 in the United States of America by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 1828 L Street NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036. Cover photo: UAE, Italian, Bahraini, and U.S. armed forces sight in on a mock target while performing a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure demonstration at the Port of Zayed area in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as part of Exercise Leading Edge 13, January 2013. Leading Edge 13 military-to-military engagements are intended to sharpen capabilities among nations in an effort to foster relationships and build regional security. (USMC photo/MSgt. Salvatore Cardella) CONTENTS The Author v Acknowledgments vii Executive Summary ix 1 | Introduction 1 2 | SWOT Analysis of the Gulf Militaries 7 3 | Key Missions for GCC Allies 23 4 | Implications for U.S. Security Cooperation 37 THE AUTHOR MICHAEL KNIGHTS is a Lafer fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, and the Gulf states.
    [Show full text]
  • The Outlook for Arab Gulf Cooperation
    The Outlook for Arab Gulf Cooperation Jeffrey Martini, Becca Wasser, Dalia Dassa Kaye, Daniel Egel, Cordaye Ogletree C O R P O R A T I O N For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR1429 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-0-8330-9307-3 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2016 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Cover image: Mideast Saudi Arabia GCC summit, 2015 (photo by Saudi Arabian Press Agency via AP). Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.html. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface This report explores the factors that bind and divide the six Gulf Coop- eration Council (GCC) states and considers the implications of GCC cohesion for the region over the next ten years.
    [Show full text]
  • Kamchatka Peninsula and Salmon Research with Pro Plus
    YSI Environmental Application Note Kamchatka Peninsula: Where the Waters Run Free and Salmon Thrive In Russia’s Far East lies the 1,250 km (780 mile) Kamchatka The habitat on the Kol is nearly ideal for salmon. The salmon run Peninsula. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of includes over seven million fish returning to spawn. The fish fill Okhotsk, Kamchatka is home to Steller’s sea-eagles, brown bears, the river channel so fully that some sections block the view to the World Heritage List volcanoes, and a remarkable amount of Pacific river bottom. The Kol also has the world’s first whole-basin refuge salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) that are being studied, protected, and for the conservation of Pacific salmon - the Kol-Kekhta Regional even filmed for television. Experimental Salmon Reserve. Kamchatka may contain the world’s Research greatest diversity of salmonids including Along the Kol’s north bank is the Kol River chinook, chum, coho, seema, pink and Biostation established for the sole purpose sockeye salmon. Rainbow trout and dolly of serving as a binational research station varden char are also highly abundant. between Russia and the U.S. Researchers Biologists estimate at least 20% of all wild are studying the dynamics of the Kol Pacific salmon originates in Kamchatka. ecosystem and addressing the question of the importance of the salmon to the health The life of a salmon is far from easy as a of the entire river’s ecosystem. fish life goes. Millions of fry, roughly five inches long after a few months of growth, While there is no question to the have to navigate close to a hundred miles All six species of Pacific salmon spawn in the importance of the healthy ecosystem on to the sea.
    [Show full text]
  • From Yemen War to Joint Army? WP Egyptian-Saudi Differences Over Arab Military Cooperation
    Introduction Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Comments From Yemen War to Joint Army? WP Egyptian-Saudi Differences over Arab Military Cooperation Jessica Noll and Stephan Roll S On 25 March 2015 a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states launched air strikes on Yemen to halt the advance of the Houthi movement. A few days later the summit of the Arab League decided to set up a joint Arab army. Nevertheless, the two most important Arab countries support opposing concepts for military cooperation: Egypt proposes institu- tionalised long-term military cooperation to increase its political weight in the region, while Saudi Arabia prefers ad hoc coalitions precisely in order to avoid long-term dependency on other countries, not least Egypt. However, the two events suggest that states in the region are stepping up military cooperation. Germany and the European Union should treat this development with scepticism. Experience shows that such col- laborations tend to exacerbate rather than resolve regional conflicts. At their summit meeting at the Egyptian of the Saudi military operation against the resort of Sharm al-Sheikh on 28 and 29 Houthi movement in Yemen, there is no March 2015, the members of the Arab direct connection between the two events. League agreed to set up joint armed forces. Consequently the Arab League resolution According to the final declaration of the makes no mention of the Yemen conflict. summit, the force should be capable of In fact, the joint army project is an Egyptian rapid intervention to guarantee the national initiative that President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sovereignty of member states and protect first floated in February 2015 in connection them against territorial threats.
    [Show full text]
  • Crimea______9 3.1
    CONTENTS Page Page 1. Introduction _____________________________________ 4 6. Transport complex ______________________________ 35 1.1. Brief description of the region ______________________ 4 1.2. Geographical location ____________________________ 5 7. Communications ________________________________ 38 1.3. Historical background ____________________________ 6 1.4. Natural resource potential _________________________ 7 8. Industry _______________________________________ 41 2. Strategic priorities of development __________________ 8 9. Energy sector ___________________________________ 44 3. Economic review 10. Construction sector _____________________________ 46 of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea ________________ 9 3.1. The main indicators of socio-economic development ____ 9 11. Education and science ___________________________ 48 3.2. Budget _______________________________________ 18 3.3. International cooperation _________________________ 20 12. Culture and cultural heritage protection ___________ 50 3.4. Investment activity _____________________________ 21 3.5. Monetary market _______________________________ 22 13. Public health care ______________________________ 52 3.6. Innovation development __________________________ 23 14. Regions of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea _____ 54 4. Health-resort and tourism complex_________________ 24 5. Agro-industrial complex __________________________ 29 5.1. Agriculture ____________________________________ 29 5.2. Food industry __________________________________ 31 5.3. Land resources _________________________________
    [Show full text]