WASHINGTON Ñ A new report warns that Gulf Cooperation Council states could be
pressured into refusing to cooperate with the United States in any war
against Iraq.
The report said the GCC's long-term commitment in cooperation with the
United States against Al Qaida is uncertain because public opinion in GCC states tend to agree with
Al Qaida's criticism of the United States, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The administration faces major questions about the course of its
relations with the Gulf states," the report, issued on Aug. 12, said. "One
significant unknown is whether or not Gulf public sympathies with the
Palestinians and Iraq will cause the Gulf regimes to refuse to cooperate
with any U.S. military offensive against Iraq. The Gulf states already have
faced some internal pressure to downplay their involvement in containing
Iraq, because Iraq is increasingly perceived in the Gulf as unjustly
victimized by U.S. and international sanctions."
In the report entitled "The Persian Gulf: Issues for U.S. Policy, 2002,"
author Kenneth Katzman reviews defense preparations and the prospect of GCC military
cooperation with Washington. The assessments were prepared by the Congressional
Research Service, the research arm of Congress, on U.S. policy in the Gulf.
The report determined that Gulf Arab states have not reduced defense
relations with Washington.
So far, the report said, GCC states continue to cooperate with
Washington on defense issues. The report said that despite Islamic
opposition, the Israeli-Palestinian war and Iraqi pressure, GCC states
continue to see the United States as a key element in regional and regime
stability.
"Although all the Gulf leaders have expressed sharp disagreement with
Bush administration policy that they believe is too heavily tilted toward
Israel, the Gulf states have not, as was feared, taken steps to reduce
defense cooperation with the United States," the report said.
The report said even Saudi Arabia cannot be ruled out as an ally in any
war against Iraq. Riyad was the only GCC state that failed to renew or
formalize a defense pact with the United States.
Riyad has not allowed U.S. pilots to fly missions in Afghanistan from
Saudi Arabia, the report said. But the kingdom did permit the United States
to use the Combined Air Operations Center at Prince Sultan Air Base, south
of
Riyad, to coordinate U.S. air operations over Afghanistan.
"Concerned about internal opposition to a U.S. presence, Saudi Arabia
has refused to sign a formal defense pact with the United States," the
report said. "However, it has entered into several limited defense
procurement and training agreements with the United States. U.S. combat
aircraft based in Saudi Arabia fly patrols of the no fly zone over southern
Iraq, but Saudi Arabia does not permit preplanned strikes against Iraqi air
defenses Ñ only retaliation in case of tracking or firing by Iraq."
