Gulf Cooperaton Council
Related NEWS WIKIPEDIA
GCC has the potential to become a global powerhouse
‘United States of the Arabian Peninsula is not hard to envisage in the future’
‘JUST AS THE EUROPEAN UNION’
Khaleej Times, May 10, 2022 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has grown into a robust inter-governmental union between the six Gulf nations – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman….Just as the European Union (EU) is one of the main political and economic unions of the western world, the GCC has the potential to become an economic and strategic powerhouse in the Middle East and globally.
REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE:
SHOCKING News About GCC Railway Project | The $100BN Railway in the Desert
GCC: Work in progress to complete railway linking Gulf countries
Saudi Gazette, May 15, 2023 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi stated that the GCC countries, the Secretariat General, and the GCC Rail Authority are continuing their efforts to finalize the completion stages of the railway linking the GCC countries, representing a prominent step in the joint Gulf interdependence and integration.
New Schengen-style visa planned for GCC countries
COUNTRIES STUDING HOW TO ACHIEVE UNIFIED SINGLE VISA
Al Arabiya, May 4, 2023 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are reviewing plans to launch a regional Schengen-style visa for tourists, a move that is expected to further boost economic growth, according to Bahrain’s Minister of Tourism.
Speaking during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in the UAE’s Dubai, Fatima al-Sairafi said that the countries were studing how to achieve a unified single visa….
GCC member states include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar….
Saudi Arabia calls on GCC to speed up establishment of customs union, common market
Arab News, Jan 24, 2022 – Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan called on Gulf countries to complete the establishment of a customs union, and implement the Gulf common market, to achieve economic unity by 2025.
Saudi crown prince indicates Israel normalization can resume after war – White House
Times of Israel, Oct 25, 2023 – US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to eventually “build on” the US-brokered negotiations that had been underway to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the outbreak of the Gaza war, the White House said after the two leaders spoke on Tuesday.
WHITE HOUSE: SAUDI ARABIA IS STILL INTERESTED IN PURSUING MEGA-DEAL
Axios, Oct 31, 2023 – Saudi Arabia assured the Biden administration that the kingdom is still interested in pursuing an agreement that would normalize relations with Israel after the war in Gaza ends, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.
The Belt and the Corridor: Gulf States capitalize on competing economic projects
IMEC CORRIDOR CONNECTS EU, GCC AND SOUTH ASIA REGIONS
ISPI, Sep 12, 2023 – For the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the Belt and the Corridor aren’t antithetic initiatives: in both cases, the Gulf stands in a coign of vantage for business. The US-backed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), officially launched on the sidelines of the G20 in New Delhi, has two instant –and also symbolic- implications for the Gulf…. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the newly-announced IMEC have their pivot in the Gulf region….
ISRAEL PM NETANYAHU CELEBRATES IMEC INDIA-GULF-EUROPE MEGA-RAILWAY
HAIFA CONNECTING HUB
The New Arab, Sep 10, 2023 – A major railway and ports initiative announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit will connect East Asia, the Gulf, and Europe, with Israel to be a main connecting hub….
The GCC region is a vital source of natural resources for New Delhi, while Indian goods are popular in Gulf markets. The infrastructure project could see trade boosted between the two regions, as China looks to expand its influence in Asia via the Belt and Road Initiative.
A Mercantile Middle East
SHOULD ‘IMPLEMENT THE GCC COMMON MARKET’; INTEGRATION OF NON-GCC MIDDLE EAST NATIONS
International Monetary Fund, Sep 2023 (Guest opinion: Nasser Saidi, Aathira Prasad) – Greater integration of non-GCC Middle East nations with the GCC will lead to more intraregional trade and greater global integration (via the GCC’s existing global linkages and participation in global value chains). With the growing global economic integration of the GCC nations and their concerted effort in supporting the region’s other nations (via increased trade and investment deals with Egypt and Iraq, for example), they can be a conduit for greater integration of the rest of the region into world trade.
‘Zionism now means normalization, integration’
‘INTEGRATION WITH THE ARAB WORLD?
The Jewish Star, Aug 30, 2023 – Israel’s dreams of peace and integration with the Arab world were challenged by the Arab goal of destroying Israel…. Nonetheless, the Abraham Accords are a hopeful sign. They showed that peace with much of the Arab world was possible in spite of the Palestinians’ traditional “veto” on such agreements. Zionism’s next objective should be full integration into the Middle East. While this might have seemed like a fantasy just a few years ago, today it seems like a very real possibility.
STRENGTHENING TIES: CHINA AND THE GCC
Atlantic Council, Jan 31, 2022 – US withdrawal from Afghanistan and its pivot to the Indo-pacific signaled to Gulf states that US priorities increasingly lie outside the Middle East. As their ties with the United States weaken, GCC members feel a more urgent need to boost and consolidate their ties with China
CHINA IS CHIPPING AWAY AT AMERICA’S INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Business Insider, Jan 17, 2022 – Last week saw a series of meetings in Beijing between senior officials from the Chinese government and foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
At these meetings, the principal topics of conversation were to finally seal a China-GCC Free Trade Agreement and “deeper strategic cooperation in a region where U.S. dominance is showing signs of retreat,” according to local news reports.
CHINA LOOKING FOR FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL
Silk Road Briefing, Jan 11, 2022 – China is meeting the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, and the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf. The Gulf countries and China will be seeking to progress negotiations over a free trade agreement (FTA) and cooperation in areas including energy. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
VOICES FROM THE ARAB PRESS: THE PATH TOWARD A UNIFIED GULF CURRENCY
Al-Ittihad, UAE, December 24. Published in Jerusalem Post, Dec 30. 2021 – …What has still not been achieved is the single most important endeavor: adopting a unified currency for all Gulf states. Of course, currency unification is one of the most difficult stages of economic unity. In the European Union, the single currency was adopted only after years and years of groundwork…. The most pressing issue is the need to set up a Gulf central bank, which would enjoy full autonomy and would be protected from any political interference of a single member state.
The EU Offers a Model for Unifying the Middle East
Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), June 19, 2014 – Not long ago, Europe was a continent that resembled how the Middle East looks today…. Yet there is reason to hope Europe’s past and present can inform the Middle East’s future. Just as a warring continent found peace through unity by creating what became the EU, Arabs, Turks, Kurds and other groups in the region could find relative peace in ever closer union. After all, most of its problems – terrorism, poverty, unemployment, sectarianism, refugee crises, water shortages – require regional answers. No country can solve its problems on its own.
This is the standard line that the CFR globalists are using to build every emerging regional bloc on earth, and it will increasingly be heard in “North America” as well.
Globalists Push EU-style “Union” for Middle East – By Alex Newman, The New American, July 31, 2014 – As if globalist scheming had not yet caused enough death and destruction in the Middle East, the global government-promoting Council on Foreign Relations and various outfits associated with the secretive Bilderberg group are now pushing a radical new plot for the region: a European Union-style regional regime to rule over the Arab, Turkish, Kurdish, and other peoples who live there. The sought-after “Middle Eastern Union” would put populations ranging from Turkey and Jordan to Libya and Egypt under a single authority…. Already, the peoples of Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and other regions have had self-styled regional “authorities” imposed on them against their will. In the Middle East, numerous similar efforts such as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League have been making progress, too.
Kissinger: Islam to Organize into ‘Larger States or One Unit’
Global Policy and Order by Bertelsmann Foundation p 17 (Global Policy Council – Bertelsmann Stiftung, Berlin, Germany, March 12-13, 2009 – video)
“Will Islam organize itself — or as Islam organizes itself either into larger states or one unit,… will it do so from the point of view representing a universal theology that others have to follow…. Or will they adopt a more secular approach in which Islam becomes the religion of its population but not an obligation of other countries to deal with them [such as done by Saudi Arabia and GCC nations]?….
“If it becomes an issue of conversion by Islam of the rest of the world, then other regions will be drawn into confrontation. If Islam operates on a basis — however it is internally — but where towards the outside world it recognizes a multilateral and pluralistic approach, then it would be an important component of the international system.”
See “Henry Kissinger: World Order and the New Cold War“
GCC:
Qatar Is the Weakest Link in an ‘Arab NATO’
National Review, April 4, 2019 – It is a good idea in theory: Assemble a coalition of Sunni Arab states, call it the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), and create a multinational military force meant to serve as a bulwark against Iranian aggression, terrorism, and extremism….The latest iteration of MESA is supposed to be an amalgamation of Sunni Muslim forces, including the six Gulf Cooperation Council members — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman — in addition to Egypt and Jordan.
When President Trump visited Riyadh in May 2017, he implored the dozens of Muslim leaders gathered at the Arab Islamic American Summit to “drive out” the terrorists in their midst and unite to push back on Iran. Those in attendance understood the reference to the Qatari elephant in the room and shortly thereafter acted to bring the emirate in line with the priorities they share with the United States. Rather than changing its behavior, Qatar widened the scope of its relations with the other regional, non-Arab, Muslim Brotherhood–boosting regime in Turkey, posing additional challenges to America’s interests in the Middle East.
Global Shakedown: ISIS, Ukraine and the New Cold War 27:34-April 16, 2015 | BLOC HEADS (2013) Part 3 of 10 GCC
Donald Trump to announce $350bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia – one of the largest in history
Deal part of president’s proposal that Gulf nations form ‘Arab Nato’
The Independent (London, UK), May 17, 2017 – The idea of an Arab Nato is not new. There was talk in 2015 of a “response force” in Egypt, comprised of approximately 40,000 troops from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and a few other Gulf nations.
The “response force” would have had a Nato-like command structure, with soldiers paid for by their own countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council made up of wealthy oil economies finance operations and management of the force.
New push for Gulf Union – Gulf Digital News (Manama, Bahrain), Dec 14, 2015 – Conditions are now ripe to establish the Gulf Union, said the Premier yesterday. This came as His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received at Gudaibiya Palace GCC Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, who briefed him about the resolutions issued by Gulf leaders to enhance co-operation in the political, economic, security and military fields.
Gulf Arab Leaders Push For EU-Style ‘Middle East Union’ At GCC Summit
A Borderless Union, Inspired by the European Union
International Business Times, Dec 11, 2015 – Gulf leaders are working on the formation of an EU-style union for the Middle East. Leaders at the 46th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh Thursday pushed for a borderless union, apparently inspired by the European Union.
The GCC green-signalled the proposal with the hope that more countries would join. The summit focused on the social, political, economic and security integration of the gulf countries.
New Gulf body to tighten economic bonds in region
‘Completing the customs union and the common market of the GCC states’
Kuwait Times, June 1, 2016 – Gulf Arab states grappling with lower oil revenues yesterday formed a new agency to tighten economic cooperation in the region…. The newly formed body “will look into matters such as completing the customs union and the common market of the GCC states,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference after the summit….
Yemen to request joining GCC after restoring stability
Al Arabiya (Dubai, UAE), Oct 29, 2015 – Yemeni Minister of Planning Mohammed Maytami said Yemen will apply to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after security is restored in the country. In an interview with Al-Arabiya, the minister said Yemeni President Abdrabbu Mansur Hadi will submit an official request to join the GCC after political stability is achieved and development and construction plans are launched…. The strategy of joining the GCC follows the same model of the European Union, which is rehabilitating some countries to further empower them,
How to end the war in Yemen
‘Offering Yemen full membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would be an excellent start’
Al Monitor, Oct 27, 2015 – Offering Yemen full membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) would be an excellent start, and some prominent Saudis have already suggested the idea. A GCC with Yemen would contain 70 million people. It would unite the peninsula. Bringing Yemen into the rich Gulf club would emulate the European Union’s positive approach of bringing in poorer European states to help them transition to a stable and prosperous future. It will mean the Saudis, Emiratis, Qataris and others take on the task of rebuilding Yemen at their (considerable) expense. The alternative is to leave a festering open wound in the peninsula that will bleed them as Yemenis seek revenge for this war for a generation to come.
Strengthening the GCC in today’s world
An Arab political bloc that includes Yemen would be geographically vast, with a large population and the third- or fourth-strongest economy in the world
Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), Nov 3, 2015 – Why is the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) delaying the announcement that it is transforming into a confederation that includes Yemen? …. What is the GCC waiting for to shift from its current status into a more effective and advanced political structure, like a confederation that includes Yemen and can have more influence in the course of regional and international political events?
GCC chases ‘Gulf union’ dream at Riyadh summit – Khaleej Times (Dubai, UAE), Dec 11, 2015 – The Arab Gulf leaders on Thursday resolved to push ahead with their integration agenda in order to realise the dream of a borderless union. The 46th Gulf Cooperation Council summit conference, held under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, decided to give the go-ahead for full integration between any member countries, hoping that others would join the union bandwagon…. A communiqué issued by the leaders said the summit focused on the concept of integration – economic, political, social, military and security – that would ultimately lead to a union.
Joint Gulf army becoming a reality – Oman said to opt out
Arab Times (Kuwait), April 3, 2016 – The establishment of a joint Gulf army is becoming a reality with the final agreement on the formation of a great defensive and offensive military system with the participation of all military sectors, and decision of the Gulf states to build a number of nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting informed sources. The sources revealed the allocation of a common budget to support the Gulf project and make it a success so that it can preserve the unity of the Gulf territory from external threats, disclosing that all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries except Oman have agreed to participate in the Gulf army.
GCC army chiefs of staff discuss activation of defense integration
Kuwait News Agency, May 16, 2016 – GCC Assistant Secetary General for Military Affairs Major General Khalifa bin Humaid Al Kaabi lauded Saudi Arabia’s effective role in achieving the bloc’s joint goals and boosting joint military action.
US ready to send advisers, helicopters to help retake Iraq city
Envisions a ‘Sunni Arab Combined Force’
France 24, Dec 10, 2015 – Carter acknowledged a missing element in the campaign: a more assertive role by Sunni Arab allies from the Gulf in the effort against Islamic State, a Sunni extremist group. He said the United States had spoken to Gulf Cooperation Council leaders at a Camp David summit in the spring about creating a “Sunni Arab combined force” to help in the fight.
‘Schengen-style’ visa for GCC countries likely by mid-2016
Geo News (Pakistan), Oct 12, 2015 – A unified visa for the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) may be available from the middle of next year. The GCC General Secretariat is working on the ambitious proposal to introduce the visa that will allow foreigners to visit all GCC states more or less similar to Europe and Schengen visa, Arab News reported on Sunday.
In a first, six Gulf states to tax people
GCC Bloc Introduces Regional Tax on Member Nations
Times of India, Dec 15, 2015 – ix Gulf states have said they will tax their citizens for the first time in a radical policy shift. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — a loose fedration of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — has agreed to introduce VAT following costly military campaigns and a drop in global oil prices…. To limit smuggling and competetiveness, the countries aim to introduce the tax at the same time.
Gulf states prep VAT laws ahead of 2018 rollout
National laws ‘fall under…Gulf Cooperation Council Law’
VAT to boost revenues hit by falling oil prices
Al Arabiya, Jan 14, 2016 – “Each of the six Gulf states will have their own VAT law that will fall under the broad framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council law,” Younis al-Khouri, under-secretary at the United Arab Emirates finance ministry, told Reuters. “Any two countries that are ready can begin implementation of VAT from 2018,” he said…. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde urged the GCC countries to introduce a regional VAT as soon as possible….
GCC-POL fully supported
Bahrain News Agency, Aug 10, 2015 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani on Sunday asserted keenness of the GCC Secretariat and its willingness to provide full support to the Gulf Police Force (GCC-POL) for the sake of strengthening its role in the joint security work…. The secretary-general affirmed that the GCC ministers of the interior are paying great attention to the GCC-POL as a leading Gulf foundation aimed to promote the Gulf integration and interdependence in the security field.
GCC fast on track to realize integration – Min. Al-Ali
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), May 12, 2016 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are proceeding at accelerating pace to achieve trade and industrial integration, said Kuait’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr. Yousef Al-Ali…. The GCC states have cut a long path toward integration, and efforts are being lavished to complete the implementation of the GCC Customs Union and unify customs, economic and legal policies, as well as accomplishing the Gulf road and railway networks, Al-Ali added.
Kuwait supports the establishment of a unified Arab customs union
Middle East Monitor, April 5, 2016 – The director of Kuwait’s North Port Customs Walid Al-Nasser said on Monday that his country supports the establishment of a unified Arab customs union. Al-Nasser made his remarks on the sidelines of the 33rd meeting of the Arab Commission for the Unified Customs Tariff at the Arab League headquarters, Kuwait News Agency reported…. Al-Nasser also stressed the benefits of the GCC unified customs union.
Yemen will not be easily persuaded to join the GCC
The National (Abu Dhabi, UAE), Feb 21, 2016 – Almost forgotten amid the hope of Yemen’s Arab Spring and later collapse into chaos and war was the plan that Yemen should have joined the Gulf Cooperation Council by now…. Yemen’s population of 26 million is more than the population of all the GCC countries combined (excluding expatriates)…. If integration reduced or removed barriers to business, GCC companies could base themselves in Yemen and benefit from much lower manufacturing costs. The real clincher, however, is security.
“The plan” for Yemen integration into the GCC is identical to the so-called “free trade” plan for Mexico, the US and Canada within an open-border NAFTA region.
Single GCC grip on the sword
Iran Threat to GCC Existence Prompts Unity
Arab Times (Kuwait), Jan 9, 2016 – Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have shut all the doors, windows and even cracks of ambiguous interpretations on its unified position towards the threat made by Iran against the GCC’s existence, role, ruling system and laws…. Today, the GCC countries said their piece in a unified single voice — five in number but one in gripping the sword. This single entity has arms able to break the teeth of anyone who attempts to harm it.
A Path Out of the Middle East Collapse
Henry Kissinger, Wall Street Journal, Oct 16, 2015
Its challenge is that two rigid and apocalyptic blocs are confronting each other: a Sunni bloc consisting of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States; and the Shiite bloc comprising Iran, the Shiite sector of Iraq with Baghdad as its capital, the Shiite south of Lebanon under Hezbollah control facing Israel, and the Houthi portion of Yemen, completing the encirclement of the Sunni world.
Kissinger’s “Sunni bloc,” with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council nations at its core, would accelerate integration into a greater Arab Union if “Shiite bloc” nations Iran and/or Assad’s Syria carry through on their stated interest in joining Putin’s Eurasian Union. And the popularity of “Putin the Shiite” is also sky high in Iraq. Since the sovereignty of nation-states is to wane in the globalists’ envisioned new world order of regions, sections of Iraq and Syria, like Ukraine before them, appear destined to be apportioned into several of Kissinger’s “competing regional units.”
Like Ukraine before them, will Syria, Iraq be apportioned, absorbed into rival regional blocs?
Putin Unleashed
By John Bolton, Algemeiner, Oct 4, 2015 – Looking ahead, with Assad and Iran operating from much stronger positions, we face the risk that regional ideological adversaries will act in concert when their interests align, as in the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact dividing Poland. The gravest threat to U.S. interests, after a nuclear Iran, is the Russia-Iran-Syria axis reaching a modus vivendi with the Islamic State. A “truce” would allow ISIS to consolidate its new state from the rubble of Syria and Iraq (presumably with Kurdistan de facto independent) and concentrate on its highest-priority targets: the Arabian Peninsula’s apostate, heretic oil-producing monarchies. With Putin explaining the historical precedent, ISIS and Iran could divide up the goods. Iran would tighten its hold on Baghdad and focus on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, with their large Shiite populations, while ISIS goes after the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the holy cities of the Hijaz. Tender Western ears may find this cold-blooded, but the regional and religious logic is straightforward. The inconvenient betrayal of one side by the other can come later.
John R. Bolton served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 2005-06. This article was originally published by The Weekly Standard.
Both Syria and Iran have expressed an interest in joining Putin’s Eurasian Union, while ISIS will prod Arabian Peninsula nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, along with other Sunni Arab nations, to form a greater Arab Union.
After Kuwait, GCC vs Daesh:
The long war
One, uniform law across the GCC, enforced by a single supranational authority will make it significantly harder for Daesh, Al Qaida and other groups to use loopholes to their advantage
Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), July 14, 2015 – In attacking Kuwait the way it did, Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is forcing the hand of the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — they must fashion a collective response truly reflective of the threat they face…. A common cause of frustration for foreign intelligence organisations has been the different laws governing terror financing across the bloc. A “single address” would go a long way in terms of addressing that problem. If empowered by a GCC summit, this organisation would have a legal enforcement mechanism…. Additionally, by establishing a “single address”, foreign partners would be cooperating with the GCC as a whole, and not separate countries with which political disagreements may exist.
Yemen to request Gulf Cooperation Council membership – Gulf News, April 29, 2015 – Yemen’s government will request membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the country’s spokesman said on Wednesday. “We will present a plan in Saudi Arabia next month that will prepare Yemen to be included in the GCC,” Rajeh Badi told Reuters by telephone from Qatar.
GCC & ISRAEL:
Gulf states warm to Israel, see possibility of Palestinian peace deal
Fox News, May 16, 2017 – Gulf states that long opposed Israel’s every move are proposing a rapprochemont in the hopes of restarting the Palestinian peace process. The development comes just days ahead of historic meetings between President Trump and Middle Eastern leaders. It consists of a draft proposal reportedly offered up by Sunni Muslim Gulf states and offers closer economic and diplomatic ties with Israel in exchange for significant moves in restarting the Palestinian peace process….
After arriving in Saudi Arabia on Friday, [Trump] is expected to attend an “Arab, Islamic and American Conference” on Sunday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and over a dozen heads of state from Arab and Islamic nations including Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Pakistan and the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Combatting Islamism – the Arab-Israel axis
Jerusalem Post, Aug 26, 2015 – That there is unprecedentedly close Egypt-Israel military cooperation in Sinai, combating IS terrorism, is no longer a secret, but recent reports have suggested covert security cooperation also between Israel and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders. Regular, secret flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv have recently been documented, despite the ostensible ban on Israeli citizens entering the UAE…. A change of atmosphere can certainly be detected, but despite covert cooperation, sober reality continues to rule.
Israel: Go Ahead and Give the Gulfies Guns – Foreign Policy, May 13, 2015 – 
Another reason for Israel’s relaxed temperament is its newfound kinship with Arab countries who share its concerns about Iran’s rise in the region. “The Israelis have cared less about the deals happening this week because there’s a feeling in Israel that they now have an undeclared ally in the GCC against Iran,” said David Ottaway, a Gulf expert at the Wilson Center, using an acronym for the six countries that makeup the Gulf Cooperation Council.
GCC to launch Joint Military Command at Doha summit: source – Asharq Alawsat English, Nov 25, 2014 – Plans for establishing the unified military command were announced at the 34th GCC summit, held in Kuwait City in December 2013. During that meeting, GCC leaders tasked the organization’s Joint Defense Council to take “all necessary measures” to maintain the security and stability of member states and build a unified defense system. he new command may take on the task of coordinating between member states and the US-led international coalition against terrorism, which is currently launching airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
Gulf nations to create joint military command – Washington Post, Dec 11, 2013 – The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council also agreed to lay the foundations for a joint Gulf police force and a strategic studies academy, according to a summary of the group’s closing statement carried by the official Kuwait News Agency.
Interior ministers call for unified Gulf police – Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), Nov 27, 2014 – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) interior ministers called for launching the procedures to set up the unified Gulf police. The Interpol-like force will be headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi…. The GCC, established in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
GCC boosts drive to unify naval operations – Arab News, March 8, 2014 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) …. has already set up the Gulf Shield Force, which played a major role in controlling riots in Bahrain. The six-member bloc has also decided to create a common GCC police force and a common counterterrorism body.
GCC moves closer to unified healthcare system – Asharq Alawsat English, Feb 6, 2015 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) group of states moved closer to establishing a unified healthcare system following a meeting of GCC health ministers in Riyadh earlier this week. The GCC’s 78th Health Minister’s conference began on Wednesday in Riyadh and saw Gulf health ministers put forward a number of recommendations to standardize healthcare across GCC states, including the introduction of a unified smart card system that would provide GCC residents with healthcare coverage in any GCC state.
GCC single currency comes down to politics, says ex-IMF boss – Arabian Business , Nov 25, 2014 – A former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said there needs to be greater political will before a common currency can be implemented in the GCC. Rodrigo de Rato, who was managing director of the IMF between 2004-07 and the finance minister of Spain when the euro was established in the 1990s, said the Gulf would have to establish fiscal as well as monetary union, which could result in political representation for citizens, as in the Eurozone.
Hagel Urges Expanded Cooperation in Gulf Region – U.S. Department of Defense, May 14, 2014 – The importance of expanded cooperation in the Gulf region was the theme of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s remarks here today at the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council defense ministerial conference…. The most pressing security challenges threaten the whole region and demand a collective response, the defense secretary said. By strengthening the GCC, he added, the member nations will ensure their collective defense is more than the sum of its parts…. He suggested that the GCC develop a Foreign Military Sales case, which could “advance regional defense priorities by accelerating the GCC’s progress toward greater interoperability and more sophisticated multinational force development.”
Hagel Warns Against Isolationism – Defense One, May 6, 2014 – [Defense Secretary] Hagel’s remarks come as a recent Wall Street Journal poll found Americans increasingly want their government focused more on domestic issues and less on foreign entanglements…. Pivoting to partnerships, the secretary said military personnel will continue to engage with foreign militaries, citing state National Guard’s long-term relations with specific countries, humanitarian assistance abroad, and deeper involvement in military institutions like NATO, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and the Mideast’s Gulf Cooperation Council.
“Independence” from foreign entanglements is what globalist Chuck Hagel deviously brands as “isolationism,” but a nation can and should remain independent while maintaining full bilateral engagement with other nations.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia stress full support to Gulf union – Gulf News (Dubai, UAE) July 16, 2014 – Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have stressed the need to speed up the process to move the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from the phase of cooperation to the phase of a union. Bahraini’s Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz said that the union between the GCC states was an issue of destiny that could not be postponed, particularly in light of the challenges lurking in the region.
Top officials discuss GCC security – Arab News, July 9, 2014 – The meeting assumes significance amid growing regional challenges including security concerns created by the Islamic State [IS] and the Sharura standoff on the Saudi-Yemen border…. Earlier, the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] had announced the formation of a unified military command…. The GCC countries are also planning to launch a common visa on the lines of the Schengen [European Union] visa to allow Gulf-based expats and foreign businessmen to move easily across the borders of the six-member bloc…
The coming regional implosion – Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), July 6, 2014 – This messy scenario, wherein the entire region seems to be imploding, is adding more strain in relations between the GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia, and the US. But this can be a blessing in disguise for the GCC states to get their act together, think out of the box, consolidate their efforts and act more strategically and seriously towards a Gulf Union.
GCC looking to set up Gulf police – GulfNews (Dubai, UAE), Oct 30, 2013 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could set up a unified police force to protect the member countries from organised crime and terrorism, the GCC secretary-general has said. “The GCC countries are looking into a project to set up a Gulf police similar to Europol, the European police,” Abdul Lateef Al Zayani said.
Paris-Sorbonne AD don urges GCC monetary and economic union – Gulf Today (UAE), May 4, 2014 – The Deputy Director of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi campus has urged setting up a timetable for the economic and monetary union of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, saying this will spur investment.
Gulf Cooperation Council expected to launch single tourist visa – eTurboNews, June 7, 2014 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to introduce a unified visa that would allow tourists to visit all six member-countries, which are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman…. Once approved, it would allow a tourist to use the visa issued in one GCC nation to visit all the others.
Saudi Arabia moving ahead with Gulf union – Al-Monitor-Dec 22, 2013 – Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans to transform the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) into a formidable military alliance and even a unified state have run into opposition from Oman, but the kingdom is determined to try to go forward in any case. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud believes unity is strength, while many of his fellow monarchs fear it is a threat to their independence.
GCC contractors urged to create joint bloc – Emirates 24/7, June 24, 2014 – Contractors in Gulf hydrocarbon producers need to create a joint bloc to serve their interests and face challenges arising from increasing foreign competition, the representative of the region’s private sector said on Sunday. Contracting firms in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also need to enter partnerships with foreign companies and to merge to create bigger entities capable of vying with giant foreign contractors…
Another example of Kissinger’s emerging “new mercantilism” of “competing regional units.”
Gulf states’ draft plan calls for unified force of 100,000 to counter Iran threat – World Tribune, Dec. 23, 2013 – The Gulf Cooperation Council has planned a unified military force that consists of 100,000 soldiers. Officials said Saudi Arabia has drafted a plan for a unified military command for the six GCC states to counter the threat from neighboring Iran.
China and GCC – Saudi Gazette, March 17, 2014 – The Chinese government forecasts that China-Middle East trade will increase by 50 percent in value in 2014, while sustained rapid growth in trade between the two blocs has convinced many analysts that China will become the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) biggest trading partner by 2020.
Yemen and the Federal System – Asharq Al- Awsat, Feb 13, 2014 – We look forward to the GCC’s support of the plan to develop and rehabilitate Yemen and link it to the Gulf’s economy. The country’s stability guarantees the Gulf’s stability—and it is worth noting that Yemen will eventually become a member of the GCC.
Oman’s $3B railroad plan to blunt Iran oil risk – The Daily Star (Lebanon), Feb 7, 2014 – The GCC Railway has a projected cost of $20 billion and aims to provide a route spanning six Gulf countries by 2018.
Gulf: GCC regional railway network to expand to Yemen – ANSAmed (Media partner of the European Commission), Jan 9, 2014 – Currently the only country in the Arabian Peninsula not part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Yemen may soon be more closely linked to its neighbors through a plan to extend the regional railway network to its borders.
Hagel: US to Sell Weapons to GCC States as a Block DefenseNews (Gannett), Dec 7, 2013 – US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States will attempt to sell weapons to Gulf Cooperation Council members as a block as opposed to individually as has been the case in the past.
Yemen wants GCC membership, says foreign minister – Al Bawaba News (Jordan), Dec 8, 2013 – Yemen is looking to become the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) latest member, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al Kurbi said on Saturday, adding that Sana’a has widely benefited from taking part on the sidelines of Gulf summits for the past seven years….Comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, the mostly desert GCC has a population of just 47 million, nearly half of whom are expatriates.
Report: Israel eyes anti-Iran security pact with gulf states – UPI, Oct 3, 2013 – Senior Israelis have held meetings with prominent figures from a number of Persian Gulf and other Arab states in recent weeks in an attempt to muster a new alliance capable of blocking Iran’s drive, Israel’s Channel 2 television reported Wednesday….Although Channel 2 did not specify which Arab states Netanyahu was dealing with, the most likely candidates are Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, which make up the Gulf Cooperation Council….The monarchies and Israel share an abiding hatred of the Islamic jihadists now operating across the Arab world.
Israel and the Gulf states: It’s complicated –Times of Israel, August 9, 2013 – One thing is certain: Jerusalem is vocally advocating for stronger ties with the overwhelmingly Sunni Gulf states in the Gulf, hoping both for commercial opportunities and geo-strategic advantages. On July 18, the Israeli Foreign Ministry opened a Twitter channel exclusively “dedicated to promoting dialogue with the people of the GCC region.” The GCC, short for Cooperation Council of Arab States in the Gulf, includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. (Never mind that Israel still officially considers Saudi Arabia an enemy state and prohibits its citizens from entering the country.)
Foreign Ministry official to hold ‘meeting’ in Israel’s virtual Persian Gulf embassy – Jerusalem Post, August 6, 2013 – It is no secret that Israel has various degrees of communication, commerce and cooperation with the Persian Gulf countries. It is also no secret that all this contact is usually held behind closed doors, far from the public eye. This will change Tuesday when Foreign Ministry director-general Rafi Barak is scheduled to hold a Twitter chat on the “official channel of the virtual Israeli embassy to GCC countries.”
Prince Turki calls for a stronger Gulf bloc – Arab News, Dec. 6, 2011 – Prince Turki Al-Faisal on Monday called on Gulf states to make the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) a powerful regional bloc….“We can create a unified Arabian Peninsula, an elected Shoura Council, a unified armed force with a unified defense industry. We can also achieve an economic system with a unified currency, set up a unified space agency, a unified IT industry, a unified aerospace industry, an automotive industry, an educational system with a unified curriculum, a unified energy and petrochemical industry and a unified justice system.”
The US-GCC fatal attraction – By Pepe Escobar, Asia Times (Hong Kong), Jan. 20, 2012 – GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council, the club of six wealthy Persian Gulf monarchies (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – UAE), founded in 1981 and which in no time configured as the prime strategic US backyard for the invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, for the long-drawn battle in the New Great Game in Eurasia, and also as the headquarters for “containing” Iran….Cueing to Orson Welles in Citizen Kane, the Rosebud inside the GCC is that the House of Saud sells its oil only in US dollars – thus the pre-eminence of the petrodollar – and in exchange benefits from massive, unconditional US military and political support. Moreover the Saudis prevent the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) – after all they’re the world’s largest oil producer – to price and sell oil in a basket of currencies. These rivers of petrodollars then flow into US equities and Treasury bonds….Why Iran? Half-jokingly, because Iran is not part of the GCC – that is, a pliable US satrapy, just like in those jolly good times under the shah.
‘Arab Spring’ without a bloom – Asia Times, August 8, 2012 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the guardian of the international payments system and dispenser of good economic and financial policies, says little to criticize Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries about their needed political reform and the management of their oil revenues as they have been big lenders to the IMF.
GCC SINGLE CURRENCY ON TRACK: SAUDI CENTRAL BANK – Khaleej Times, September 16, 2011 – The launch of the Gulf single currency, which had been delayed following the withdrawal of the UAE and Oman, is on track, Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank Governor Muhammad Al Jasser said.
Gulf Arabs shouldn’t delay single currency: Qatar bank official – Al Arabiya (Dubai, UAE), July 27, 2012 – A Gulf official has told Reuters that the countries taking part in the single currency project are still dealing with organizing the institutions and there was no decision yet on any program or timings.
Qatar Central Bank Official: GCC Should Pursue Monetary Union -Reuters – Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2012 – Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council “should benefit from the euro experience and continue with the GCC monetary union project without a delay,” an official of Qatar’s central bank said, Reuters reports on its website Thursday.
Residents see Schengen-style GCC visa – Zawya (Dubai, UAE), November 9, 2012 – If this Schengen-style unified visa is introduced, foreign tourists and businessmen would be allowed to travel to any of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries…
[The “Schengen Zone” is the continental security perimeter surrounding all euro-zone countries, within which there is a “free flow” of commerce and people across borders.]
GCC border controls need to be simplified – Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), April 4, 2012 – There can be no meaningful economic integration of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, without the free flow of goods and services between member states….This can be done by working together to strengthen controls on borders with non-member states, while easing movement within the GCC, like the European Union is doing.
Gulf states are inches from customs union – Al-Bawaba (Jordan), July 24, 2012 – The incident underlined the difficulties faced by the six rich oil exporting countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as they edge toward closer economic integration….Projects already underway or under study include a customs union, a joint value-added tax and even the introduction of single currency.
Welcome Iraq into the Neighborhood – The National Interest, September 29, 2012 – U.S. military assistance to Iraq should be part of a broader regional security-cooperation strategy that aims to incorporate Iraq into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Mohammed VI Gulf Tour: An Arab Union in the Making? – North Africa Post, October 29, 2012 – Hence, the Moroccan king’s visit demonstrates how the concerns over the spread of Arab Spring revolts and its implications have drawn together the region’s monarchs – a case in point is the Gulf monarchies’ invitation in 2011 of Morocco, along with Jordan, to join the Gulf Cooperation Council.
GCC ministers sign major security agreement – Gulfnews.com (Dubai, UAE), November 14, 2012 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) interior ministers have signed a major security agreement, seen as “a crucial move forward towards full security integration”.
Saudi Proposed Gulf Union More of a Threat to U.S. Than Iran’s Nuclear Program – Examiner, May 1, 2012 – Remember, all of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi citizens. Al Qiada was formed in Saudi Arabia in response to the the royal family’s tyranny. In fact, the Saudi royal family lives in fear of being toppled….If the U.S. gives its tacit approval to a Gulf Union, it is a certainty that Saudi Arabia and the other oil-producing states will tighten their grip on oil production…
Gulf capitalism
The News International, June 20, 2012 – The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] states came to share an interest in the growing strength of the US dollar and US financial power with most of their reserves in dollar-linked markets. Also, the Gulf’s monarchies depend on US military protection. This, perhaps, also explains US concern for democracy in Libya while staying mum in case of the GCC.
Public-private partnerships vital in GCC – Zawya, August 10, 2012 – The six Gulf countries that have historically been investing state funds generated from huge oil windfalls in infrastructure and development projects, could take advantage of the presence of a more mature private sector by forging partnerships in executing infrastructure projects.
[“Public-Private partnership” is a euphemism for big-government/big-business fascism and is a characteristic of all the world’s geopolitical/economic regions.]
Washington Bets On The Gulf Royals – Eurasia Review, April 27, 2012 – The GCC is the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab NATO, whose members include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Each of these is a monarchy, with the UAE disguising the royals behind a federation and with the Saudis ecstatic to proclaim the benefits of the royal bloodline. They pretend that their great enemy is Iran, but in actual fact it is the idea of Democracy.
Long live ‘our’ Gulf bastards – Asia Times (Hong Kong), May 11, 2012 – Life is a golden gift from Allah if you’re a certified member of the Gulf Counter-Revolution Club (GCC), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council; Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates can torture, kill, repress and demonize their own subjects – in full confidence the “master” will let you get away with it….Is there any Arab Spring-related repression and killing going in Bahrain? According to Clinton, of course not; these are only “internal issues” – in her own words.
‘GCC threatened by Muslim fundamentalists’ – Emirates 24/7, July 27, 2012 – Dubai’s police chief has accused Muslim fundamentalists of seeking to topple regimes in Gulf oil producers, urging regional nations to remain vigilant against such attempts and warning the opponents they would be defeated.
Kingdom calls for GCC to be fully integrated – Arab News (Saudi Arabia), April 29, 2012 – Prince Saud called on the Gulf governments to move to “a phase of union with full integration of key affairs to give greater impetus and strength to the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).” Prince Saud’s speech was read out by Prince Abdulaziz, deputy foreign minister, at a high-profile conference entitled “Gulf Youth: From GCC to Gulf Union” in the capital.
GCC can learn much from the EU experience, says panel – The National (Abu Dhabi), May 3, 2012 – Despite some fundamental differences between the Gulf and Europe, the GCC can still learn a lot from the European Union, panellists agreed yesterday. European parliamentary representatives, political experts and academics at the Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi discussed how an Arab Gulf union could take advantage of the European experience.
FAST-TRACK GCC UNION SAY IMAMS – Gulf Daily News (Bahrain), May 19, 2012 – GCC union has now become a pressing demand with the exposure of foreign agendas, imams across Bahrain said yesterday in their Friday sermons. They called for its announcement to be fast-tracked, describing the union as a dream of any loyal Arab Gulf national. “Gulf union is a God’s call in the first place and anyone opposing it must be either ignorant or criminal who doesn’t seek the good of the country,” they pointed out.
WHY THE GULF UNION? WHY NOW? – Arab News (Saudi Arabia), May 13, 2012 – When the GCC was established in 1981, its Charter explicitly stated that unity was one of its main goals, but many outsiders believed that unity was a farfetched dream….Keep in mind that there were no models to emulate at that time for such a union, as the European Union was still an idea. Keep in mind also that in those days, most GCC countries had only recently gained their full independence after British withdrawal from the region.
GCC, EU Meet to Boost Ties – Arab News (Saudi Arabia), Jan. 28, 2012 – In a major move to boost relations between the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union and to hold consultations on many regional and international issues, GCC Secretary-General Abdulatif Al-Zayani will begin a visit to Brussels on Sunday….The EU has also been committed to sharing its experiences of economic integration, particularly on monetary union, with the GCC, which is undergoing a similar process to that of the European Union.
Panel suggests new name for GCC – Arab News, March 8, 2012 – The GCC consultative committee met here yesterday and proposed to change the name of Gulf Cooperation Council to Arab Gulf Union Council.
GCC panel meets to study Gulf Union plan – Arab News, Feb. 22, 2012 – The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has taken the first step to transform into a stronger union with the launch of the first meeting of a high-powered panel studying the new initiative, said the council’s secretary-general in Riyadh on Tuesday. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Abdullateef Al-Zayani said the Gulf states have started working on the proposal to form the Gulf Union, a provision explained in article four of the GCC charter. Referring to the political unification to be preceded by full-fledged economic integration,….”We are proceeding to a higher degree of harmonization in several areas,” he added.
The fast and furious Sunni revenge – Asia Times, April 19, 2012 – Strategically, the GCC was invented – with essential American input – to defend those poor Gulf petromonarchies from the evils of Saddam Hussein and the Iranian Khomeinists, with its members comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. But when the 2011 Arab revolt exploded…the petromonarchies faced a larger evil that simply petrified them: democracy.
GCC to meet on union on Tuesday – Oman Tribune, Feb. 20, 2012 – The commission in charge of studying the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia to turn the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) into a Gulf Union will hold its first meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday.
GCC aides meet today to weigh nuclear energy options – Arab News, Feb. 28, 2012 – Today, senior officials and nuclear experts of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold a meeting in Riyadh to study a project on the use of nuclear energy and to review a plan to boost cooperation between member states and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Never mind Iran, is Saudi Arabia about to acquire a nuclear bomb?– Daily Mail (London), Feb. 24, 2012 – Both Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council maintain that they want a WMD-free Middle East. However, key members of the Saudi royal elite have recently signalled that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, then Saudi Arabia will get one too. Speaking of signalling, they have also long indicated that if Israel were to overfly the desert kingdom to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, they would temporarily turn their radars off.
Building a strong GCC union – Gulfnews, Feb. 23, 2012 – Whereas the six Arab Gulf states consciously avoided emphasising the security aspect of their cooperation in 1981, events since then confirmed that this was no longer possible, which was the chief reason why King Abdullah urged the bloc to move from cooperation to full unity at the last GCC summit in December.
Oman Ctrl Bk Head: IMF Has Asked GCC States To Boost Contributions – Wall Street Journal, Jan. 19, 2012 – The oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, states have been approached by the International Monetary Fund to increase their financial contributions as the fund seeks to boost its resource base by an extra $500 billion to $600 billion to help battle the euro-zone debt crisis, Oman’s central bank governor said Thursday.
ECB, Gulf Countries To Discuss Europe – NASDAQ, Jan. 18, 2012 – European central bankers will discuss the crisis in Europe with their Gulf counterparts Thursday, and will review the lessons the Gulf countries have drawn from the global financial crisis, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said….Draghi reiterated that European leaders achieved a “breakthrough” in tackling the debt crisis with December’s agreement to create a “fiscal compact” and boost economic policy coordination….Oman’s central bank governor Hamood Al Zadjali confirmed Thursday that the oil rich Gulf Cooperation Council states are among the nations that have been approached by the IMF to increase their contributions in line with their IMF quotas.
GCC central banks chiefs review monetary council issues – Kuwait News, Agency, Nov. 21, 2011 – Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and Chairman of the Board of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]
Saudi King Abdullah Calls for a Closer Arab Gulf Union – Bloomberg, Dec. 19, 2011 – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah called on leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to strengthen their alliance into a united “single entity” as they confront threats to national security.
Decision on Capitol Hill – National Journal, Jan. 11, 2012 – There was a chance that nations in the Middle East could be deemed eligible only for U.S. nuclear cooperation pacts with strict weapons-prevention terms, informed sources said….A member of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family recently suggested the kingdom was interested in building or acquiring atomic arms to counter Iran and Israel, a notion that has seriously rattled many in Washington officialdom (see GSN, Dec. 5, 2011)….Additionally, the Gulf Cooperation Council—comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—has expressed interest in developing its nuclear energy sector under international guidelines.
‘Arab Spring’ spurs social reforms in GCC – Emirates 24|7, Jan. 10, 2012 – The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which control over 40 per cent of the world’s recoverable oil deposits, have boosted public expenditure by up to 60 per cent since the 2008 global fiscal crisis while most of them have announced measures to raise salaries, provide more social aid, create jobs for citizens and build houses.
U.S. companies key to gulf missile shield – UPI, Jan. 9, 2012 – “One factor holding back GCC defense integration has been Saudi Arabia’s unwillingness to sanction collective security arrangements that might weaken the GCC as a Saudi-led defense treaty. This factor appears to be receding, with Riyadh appearing confident that it remains the bloc’s military leader.”
Analysis: Selling arms to the Gulf – BBC, Jan. 9, 2012 – A huge new arms deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia may signal a push towards a unified military force in the Gulf….Such a move would underline both a growing anxiety over Iranian intentions and the ineffectiveness of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s own Peninsula Shield Force which was established in 1984.
Qatar seeks active role for GCC – Gulf News (Dubai), Jan. 6, 2012 – Qatar’s Prime Minister said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries should be involved in addressing the latest issues between the West and Iran.
Constraining Iran in the Strait – New York Times, Jan. 2, 2012 (Google Link) – The recent Gulf Cooperation Council summit meeting in Riyadh concluded with a communiqué from member states approving the creation of formal “union” — to include greater security cooperation and mutual defense against external threats (such as Iran). Helping Gulf nations translate that sentiment into a real architecture that constrains how the Iranian regime operates and exploits the strait should be a top priority for the United States.
Gulf states remain on waiting list for Arab Spring – Ahram, Jan. 1, 2012 – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by Saudi Arabia, played a clear role in shaping the uprisings in its neighbour countries like Yemen, Bahrain and Oman, either through military intervention or financial aid. Internally, most Gulf monarchies avoided using the security solution in facing down street protests, offering social and economic benefits to their citizens.
REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE:
Abu Dhabi Leads Gulf Nations With Oil Pipe to Avoid Iran – Bloolmerg, July 13, 2012 – The $3.3 billion link across the United Arab Emirates to the port of Fujairah, to be inaugurated July 15, ensures that at least some Abu Dhabi crude will reach buyers if Iran shuts the waterway….In 2003, the six nations comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman — began weighing a regional plan to build a pipeline from southern Iraq through Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to Oman. The Arab group decided in 2007 not to proceed.
Bridge gap for Gulf Common Market – Gulf News (Dubai, UAE), August 23, 2012 – Each Gulf state needs to strengthen its efforts in extending the same facilities to nationals of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — be it investment, employment, education and property ownership….The GCC also needs to expand the physical infrastructure to allow greater cross-border mobility….In this regard, the GCC Power Grid and the GCC Railway need to be fast-tracked…. Otherwise, the GCM will remain a dream, let alone the single currency and the GCC Monetary Union.
[Nearly all of the infrastructure components necessary to build a geopolitical regional jurisdiction are pointed out in this article, and all are being implemented in North America. Notice that education facilities are to be offered to to people from other member nations. Is that not indicative of the real motive behind the various proposals from both democrats (Obama) and republicans (Rubio) in the U.S. for a “Dream Act” for illegal immigrant children from Mexico?]
For GCC Countries, a Challenge Within Reach: The Gulf Rail Network – PolicyMic, August 21, 2012 – A significant part of the spending has been allocated to much-needed infrastructure projects. Among these, an ambitious project to construct an approximately 1,200 mile rail route extending from Kuwait to Oman and linking all GCC countries, with the possible inclusion of Yemen in the future.
Meet adopts tech aspects of GCC railway project – Oman Daily Observer, Septemer 16, 2012 – The meeting adopted the technical specifications booklet of the GCC railway project, which links the capitals of the GCC countries from Kuwait to Muscat
GCC to spend $252 Billion on energy over next 5 years – Bikya Masr (Egypt), August 27, 2012 – Pushing better energy models has been a stalwart of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in recent years….Among the projects on tap are new power production plants, distribution systems and supply grids…
Oman linked to GCC power grid– Times of Oman, November 5, 2012 – All the three phases of GCC power grid linking all the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been completed and the grid is successfully in operation, said Dr Ali Al Ghafri, a senior official at the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW).
GCC Now Stronger Than Ever Before: Al-Zayani – Eurasia Review, June 13, 2012 – Meanwhile, a meeting of GCC water and electricity ministers has approved a study on linking the member states water networks as well as the GCC water strategy. “I am confident that GCC water network will become a reality like the GCC power grid,” said Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hussayen.
GCC countries plan huge infrastructure investments – Al-Bawaba, Jan. 1, 2012 – The most ambitious project, valued at U.S. $ 30 billion, is the railroad that will connect all the countries of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], whose construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. For roads construction, investments are put at $ 18 billion.
White House, Saudi Arabia Sign $30B F-15 Deal – ABC News, Dec. 29, 2011 – “This gives Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates really modern combat aircraft that are much more advanced than Iran has,” he said. “Iran cannot feel secure now if it attacks other Gulf Cooperation Council members in the region.”
A-Jad: Gulf Arabs are Western Pawns – Arutz Sheva, Dec. 28, 2011 – Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Iran’s Saudi-led Persian Gulf allies of being American pawns on Wednesday….Last week the six-member Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) resolved to pursue the formation of a diplomatic and military union as a means of forming strategic ballast against Iran, who they accuse of seeking to destabilize their regimes by inciting their Shiite populations against them.
Arab Spring becoming an Islamic Revolution – Vancouver Sun, Dec. 31, 2011 – Yet there are some signs that in countries lightly touched by the Arab Spring, such as Jordan, and among regional organizations, such as the previously moribund Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, the cries for reform coming from the streets have been heard.
GCC Moving in Right Direction – Gulfnews, Dec. 23, 2011 – Proposal for a Gulf union is in line with the spirit of the age, which calls for creation of big blocs to tackle present world realities.
What Really Frightens the Oil-Rich Arab Monarchies – Bloomberg, Dec. 27, 2011 – In a summit ending with a call for greater “union” rather than mere “cooperation,” the oil-rich, Arab monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council stressed threats emanating from Iran.
Bahrain to take part in Arab League delegation of observers to Syria – Bahrain News Agency, Dec. 24, 2011 – The decision stems from the kingdom’s belief in the importance of joint Arab action following a resolution by the Gulf Cooperation Council to send a unified unit representing all the GCC countries to take part in the Arab League delegation to observe the situation in Syria, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Gulf unity a matter of urgency – The National|Arab News Digest, Dec. 22, 2011 – The union of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]member states is crucial. It needs no committees, conferences or any waste of time. It is a union that has to come out of a collective sense of impending danger.
Institutions key to stronger Gulf ties – GulfNews, Dec. 22, 2011 – To police and monitor this kind of thing, the GCC itself needs much larger and more proficient technical staff, working under the GCC Secretariat. The same applies to any other economic area, like the stalled plan to unify the six GCC currencies.
God bless Gulf nation – Arab Times, Dec. 22, 2011 – Now it is up to the GCC leaders to act because the seeds have been sown on fertile prosperous land. When will we reach the Promised Land? When will we have one embassy to represent all of us in all countries of the world? When will we have one army and one economy?
Gulf Arabs back unity after hinting at Iran threat – Reuters, Dec. 20, 2011 – The goal of greater union is enshrined in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council’s 1981 founding charter, but has only been given impetus by the mass uprisings that have reshaped the power balance in the Middle East, as well as fears of a newly assertive non-Arab, Shi’ite Iran across the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi says its security targeted, urges Gulf unity – Reuters, Dec. 19, 2011 – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah said on Monday the security of his country and that of his Arab neighbors was being targeted, in an apparent reference to regional rival Iran, and called for Gulf Arab states to close ranks in a “single entity”….addressing the opening session of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
As US departs Iraq, it leaves behind allies who won’t talk – Kansas City Star, Dec. 18, 2011 – Saudi Arabia also has gone out of its way to exclude Iraq, whose main port is at the head of the Persian Gulf, from the Gulf Cooperation Council, but wants to add landlocked Jordan and Morocco, hundreds of miles away on the Atlantic.
‘[P]GCC mustn’t weaken resistance front’ – PressTV, Dec. 17, 2011 – Iran’s deputy foreign minister has urged the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) to refrain from weakening the anti-Israel resistance front in the region.
Arab uprisings redefine geopolitics in Middle East – AFP, Dec. 16, 2011 – The Arab uprisings mark a historic milestone in a region long ruled by dictators and have reshaped the political map, heralding the rise of a Sunni Islamist bloc against a waning Shiite axis led by Iran, analysts say. From Tunisia to Egypt, Syria and Yemen, a new order is emerging in the Arab world with the traditional balance of power fading as a new — mainly Sunni — political front emerges.
Iran, Saudi Officials Hold Rare Talks – Wall Street Journal, Dec. 14, 2011 – Gulf leaders are set to discuss bolstering a regional military force, in part due to unease over Iran’s nuclear program, at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting this month in Riyadh. Saudi King Abdullah met with the head of the six-nation GCC, Abdul Latif Zayani, on Tuesday, the Saudi news agency said.
Egypt could join GCC, Kuwaiti official says – Gulf News.com, Dec. 11, 2011 – “We support Jordan and Egypt joining the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) as full members, but only after two years,” Al Radhwan told Kuwaiti daily Al Rai ahead of the GCC summit in Riyadh next week.
GCC police team up to create regional force – ArabianBusiness, Dec. 8, 2011 – Police forces in the six GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] states are to team up under an agreement to create a regional agency and a permanent security committee as political upheaval threatens the wider Middle East.
Majority in GCC support single currency union – Gulf Times (Qatar), Dec. 6, 2011 – A good number of Gulf Co-operation Council nationals think that their countries will benefit from being members of the proposed GCC single currency.
Heads of GCC assemblies to meet in Jeddah Saturday – Arab News, Dec. 7, 2011 – “The main objective of the meeting is to enhance the scope of GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] joint action and to achieve integration and unity among the GCC countries, as well as to develop parliamentary work in the region within the framework of an effective institutional system in the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh said.
GCC Defense Ministers say armed forces integration key to protecting member states – Kuwait News Agency, Nov. 22, 2011 – Defense ministers in the six GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries underlined Tuesday that building a joint defense system, via full integration among armed forces, was the most “active practical” option to defending the Arab Gulf countries’ security, stability, sovereignty and resources.
U.S. Plans Bomb Sales in Gulf to Counter Iran – Wall Street Journal, Nov. 11, 2011 – The Obama administration is trying to build up the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC], which comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, U.A.E. and Kuwait, as a unified counterweight to Iran.
Why a road map is necessary to chart the course of change – Gulfnews.com (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), October 24, 2011 – The Arab Spring Report recommends that the Arab League and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) must drive the reform process internally with coordinated external support at this critical juncture in history….based on solid regional and global integration….