"The signing of the agreement esssentially affirms the solid and
historic ties that bind the two countries," Kuwaiti Interior Minister Jaber
Al Khaled Al Jaber Al Sabah said.
This marked the first security accord between the two Gulf Cooperation
Council states in years. In 2008, Shi'ite unrest rose in Kuwait, who closed
its borders to Shi'ites from Bahrain.
Officials said the two countries would cooperate in identifying
insurgency threats. They said Bahrain and Kuwait would exchange
intelligence, documents and promote visits to help combat insurgency,
organized crime and drug trafficking.
The two GCC members also intend to extradite fugitives. Officials said
the effort would require increased communications and access to a common
data base.
Kuwait has sought to increase regional cooperation amid the threat of
Iranian-backed Shi'ite unrest, which included the interrogation of former
parliamentarians charged with links to Hizbullah in Lebanon. Jaber has
visited most GCC states to help coordinate counter-insurgency efforts.
Meanwhile, Bahrain has relayed a request for a U.S. Patriot missile
defense system.
Officials said Bahrain's King Hamad has asked to procure the U.S.-origin
PAC-3 advanced missile defense system. They said Hamad wants the Defense
Department to train and help deploy PAC-3 in the Gulf Cooperation Council
kingdom, which hosts the U.S. Navy.
"Our defense cooperation with the United States goes back more than 60
years," Hamad said. "It has consistently proved its value in maintaining
peace and security in the Gulf, and we believe that the region will continue
to need such cooperation now and in the future."
On March 24, Hamad held talks with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the
Iranian threat and the need for additional U.S. military cooperation.
Officials said Hamad urged Gates to export PAC-3 as well as other air
defense assets to Bahrain.
"Today, we discussed our readiness to confront any possible threat to
the stability and security of the Arabian Gulf and, in this respect, we will
increase our joint exercises to adapt to the new defense systems," Hamad
said. "Our talks on defense cooperation is consistent with Bahrain's status
as a major non-NATO ally of the United States."
On Tuesday, Hamad met President George Bush. Bush praised Bahrain's
assumption of its command of a Gulf multi-national task force.
"We talked about security matters, which really are the most important
issue, for maintaining the development and the prosperity in our region,"
Hamad said.
Bahrain, with few energy resources, is the smallest and poorest of GCC
states. Manama has also been struggling with Shi'ite unrest believed aided
by neighboring Iran.
Manama has joined Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in their requests
for U.S.-origin missile defense systems. Saudi Arabia has also drafted plans
to submit a formal request for PAC-3. U.S. Central Command, responsible for
the Gulf, has been maintaining its own PAC-3 batteries in Kuwait and Qatar.
On March 24, Bahrain and the United States signed a nuclear energy
cooperation accord. The memorandum of understanding, signed by Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice and her Bahraini counterpart, Khalid Bin Ahmed Al
Khalifa, envisioned the sale to Manama of at least one nuclear energy
reactor, fuel of which would be provided by the United States.
"In particular, Bahrain affirmed its intention to forgo sensitive fuel
cycle technologies and rely on existing international markets for nuclear
fuel," the State Department said. "This stands in direct contrast to Iran's
nuclear activities."