Peninsula Shield, nuclear proliferation and the AGCC summit
The member states approved the decisions of the meeting of defence ministers but merely "reviewed a letter of [ ] King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia", on developing desert shield forces, and referred proposals on this issue to the next summit.
Which could mean that Saudi Arabia's wish to develop Peninsula Shield, a GCC multi-member defence force, did not receive wholehearted support from other member states. Rather than expose disagreement, progress has simply been shelved for the time being. Saudi Arabia's smaller neighbours rather resent its dominance.
Presumably this summit was seen as an occasion when unity of purpose was seen to be paramount, since all leaders of the AGCC states attended with the exception of the ailing emir of Kuwait, Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who was represented by Prime Minister Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
On 10th November, Khaleej Times reported that the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Shaikh Sulman bin Hamed Al Khalifa who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, met His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and Oman's Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, in Sohar, for discussions on mutual issues of interest.
Bahrain has its own problems dealing with AGCC policy. Middle East Newsline reported that on December 3rd, the Bahraini parliament refused to ratify a counter-insurgency treaty drafted by the AGCC, on the basis that the draft violated Bahrain's constitution and would enable a crackdown on civil liberties. The motion was carried ten days later after a report from parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee said that Bahrain must join a regional effort against terrorism.
Yusuf bin Alawi visited Kuwait for discussions on 22nd November.
Speaking at a press conference on the occasion of Oman's 35th National Day, Yusuf bin Alawi stated that "there is no need or any military force after the previous Iraqi regime was removed, adding that in the 21st century there is no role for defence pacts and 'we believe that the focus should be on the economic development'. He pointed out even the Arab joint defence pact would serve better if transformed in an economic agreement." Oman Observer, 22nd November 2005.
Middle East Newsline reported on 20th December that not only Oman, but also Qatar wanted to quit Peninsula Shield. However, GCC secretary-general Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah had apparently said "the GCC has not received a request by Oman to withdraw from Peninsula Shield. He said none of the GCC members has asked to end participation in regional defence."
In the event, the final communiqué of the summit did express "content over cooperation and coordination between member states to counter terrorism and reaffirmed support for regional and international efforts to this effect."
What did exercise the minds of the Gulf leaders was the nuclear potential of Israel and Iran. "In the summit’s final statement, the leaders called on 'Israel to adhere to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and to open all its nuclear installations for international inspection.'" Khaleej Times
Khaleej Times also reported that, following the summit, the UAE foreign minister demanded environmental “guarantees and protection” from the Iranian nuclear plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast.
"'We are in a region very close to the (Iranian) nuclear reactor in Bushehr. We have no guarantees or protection against any leakage (from the reactor) which is on the Gulf coast,' Abdullah Rashid Al Nuaimi said."
Oman is only 20km away from Iran at its closest point on the Musandam peninsula, overlooking the Straits of Hormuz.
Middle East Newsline on 21st December stated that "Western diplomatic sources said the GCC position reflected more than a year of lobbying by the United States. They said the United States had urged GCC members to express concern over Iran's nuclear program, particularly Bushehr." Not only that, but the GCC has agreed to a "range of non-combat operations against the Iranian regime" which would enable the USA to completely surround Iran. Menl
Gulf News reported on 28th December that Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi Arabia's Assistant Minister of Defence and Aviation, had said that King Abdullah had proposed the breakup of Peninsula Shield at the recent AGCC summit in Abu Dhabi. This is a turn-around of events reported at the time. Prince Khalid was reported as stating that, "The force should remain in the respective countries, and that will contribute substantially in reducing its costs as well as in enhancing its combating capabilities."