Tuesday, November 4, 2008 Free Headline Alerts
ABU DHABI — The Gulf Cooperation Council has drafted a series of recommendations in the effort by the six members to enhance security and military cooperation at a time of possible change in U.S. policy in the region.
Officials said GCC defense ministers and interior ministers met in late October and early November to draft guidelines for the leadership summit in Oman expected in December 2008. They said the guidelines stipulated enhanced training, operational exercises and an intelligence exchange.
"The GCC aims to enhance military cooperation in accordance with current challenges," Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud said.
Officials said GCC defense ministers, who ended their meeting in Qatar on Nov. 2, approved the recommendations of the military chiefs of staff on regional cooperation. They said the recommendations, approved by the military chiefs in a separate meeting in October, were designed to revive the GCC regional force, Peninsula Shield.
Saudi Arabia has sought to expand the moribund Peninsula Shield from its current 6,000 to about 22,000 members. Peninsula Shield, opposed by such countries as Qatar and Oman, was suspended during a GCC summit in 2006.
GCC interior ministers agreed to a series of recommendations for security cooperation during their meeting in Doha, which ended on Oct. 29. Officials said the recommendations concerned enhanced cooperation in counter-insurgency, criminal investigations, technology exchange and intelligence.
"The ministers also discussed the criteria for security officer training," Kuwait Interior Undersecretary Abdul Latif Al Rajaib said.
Officials said the interior ministers endorsed the distribution of so-called smart identity cards for GCC nationals. They said the smart IDs would facilitate regional tourism and trade.