KUWAIT CITY, 23 October 2007 — Security chiefs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states began a meeting here yesterday by warning of the risks of fallout from regional events, especially in Iraq.
“Events in Iraq require us to make effective and strong moves to deter risks that may reach us,” said Prince Muqrin, chief of Saudi intelligence, told the opening session. “Such moves must be carried out through coordinated practical steps and in accordance with fast mechanisms, because slow implementation ... is not in the interest of our national security,” the prince said.
The head of Kuwait’s National Security Agency, Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah, said regional situation was “highly delicate” and that the GCC states faced “major challenges”.
The meeting was decided on at a July session in Riyadh of Gulf defense and foreign ministers as well as intelligence chiefs, to coordinate strategy and counter fallout from the Iraq war and Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West.
The intelligence chiefs met ahead of a meeting of interior ministers of the countries neighboring Iraq, which is scheduled to start in Kuwait City today to discuss ways to restore stability in the war-ravaged nation.
Interior Minister Prince Naif has already left Jeddah for Kuwait to attend the meeting. He is heading a high-level security delegation including Dr. Ahmed Al-Salim, undersecretary, Lt. Gen. Talal Angawi, director general of border guards, and Lt. Gen. Saeed Al-Qahtani, director general of public security.
