A well-coordinated “unified security or shield backed by the United States and Western allies” will deter any threat and also help to improve the environment for peace, security and cooperation in the region, said the GCC chief.
The GCC as a bloc will have to work very hard to build “a strong regional security apparatus” in line with the member countries’ interests, compulsions and regional characteristics, said Al-Zayani, while speaking at the Middle East Missile and Air Defense Symposium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. A copy of his speech, which reaffirms the desire of the Gulf states to install a defense shield with special reference to the plans and policies of the Gulf countries, was obtained by Arab News on Thursday.
“Al-Zayani, in his speech, explained how to face regional threats and how to map out security cooperation for future,” said Ahmed Al-Kaabi, a spokesman of the GCC. The remarks of Al-Zayani is more important at this time when the Gulf states have slammed the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the island of Abu Musa, saying that it was a violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and a breach of bilateral accords for peace and security in the region.
Al-Kaabi said the GCC as a bloc has “expressed full solidarity with the UAE on its sovereignty over its territories, including the three islands of Abu Musa, the Lesser Tunb and the Greater Tunb.”
The GCC, he said, condemns any action that constitutes a violation of the UAE sovereignty and could undermine efforts to reach a peaceful settlement with Iran over occupation of the islands.
“It is really interesting to watch how Tehran behaves now and that too only a few days before a major meeting in Istanbul, which has an agenda to discuss the Iranian nuclear program,” said Al-Kaabi.
The six powers—the US, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain—will hold their first talks with Iran on April 14 in more than a year, hoping Tehran will give enough ground over its nuclear program to continue negotiations and avert the threat of a full-scale Middle East war.
Referring to the need for a common defense program, Al-Zayani spoke on the need to unite the GCC under a unified integrated air missile defense system to counter Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal. “We want more cooperation and good relations between countries if we want to defend our land,” he said. “We need to be dependent on ourselves and increase the capability of the GCC to be less dependent on our allies,” he said, while referring to the need for robust defense networks and comprehensive solutions that are practical and not theoretical.
Iran has been acquiring, developing, and deploying for over 20 years ballistic missiles that are inherently capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction and missiles with ranges that easily cover all the GCC countries and even southeastern Europe. It is actively pursuing yet longer-range systems that can cover Western Europe and beyond. Iran is violating its UN and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) obligations by continuing to enrich uranium, in the process clearly demonstrating the technical capability to produce nuclear weapons.
Explaining the GCC vision for a regional missile defense shield, Al Zayani said: “In war time, the most important thing is a civil defense system….our success will depend on the strength of our defense. Building a comprehensive plan for a missile defense shield is an important strategy for protecting all our countries. Cooperation sends a strong message to our allies and enemies.”
“We have to work more and more especially if we need to build confidence to defend against threats and enemies,” said Al-Zayani, while referring to the defense shield. However, he said that the shield as a solution should be flexible and comprehensive. “It should be a workable solution and not theoretical,” he added. Missile and air defense are essential capabilities that ought to be on the top of priority list of all modern armies, he added.
“It is no secret that if there were to be any future military confrontation in the region, ballistic and cruise missiles would be the number one threat to Arab Gulf states,” said the GCC chief. The ability of these missiles to carry non-conventional warheads elevates the threat level to an existential and strategic one, he added. The threat posed by Iran’s military capabilities was at the centre of discussions at every forum, said the GCC chief.
Referring to the common resolve of the Gulf states, Al-Zayani said that “there was never a more important time than this to discuss defense.” The US has a role to play in what the GCC offers and how the GCC might coordinate this region for an integrated air missile defense system. Major cities, desalination plants and critical infrastructure in the Gulf countries are easy targets for a first attack by any country in the region. The GCC, which was formed in May 1981 against the backdrop of the revolution in Iran and the Iraq-Iran war, is very rich in energy, gas and minerals.
Collectively, GCC countries possess almost half of the world’s oil reserves. The GCC has a small collective defense force, which was set up back in 1984. The Saudi-based Peninsula Shield, which was deployed to Bahrain in March 2011 to bolster security during anti-government protests, is a small unit of troops. The Gulf states have recently proposed to expand the Peninsula Shield with an aim to have a standing common GCC army on the ground just in case.
