Gulf states inter military cooperation

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states on Tuesday expressed their determination to strengthen their military cooperation in light of the " Israeli aggressions against the palestinian people."

At the inaugural session of the GCC's defense ministers in al-Riyadh on Tuesday, the Saudi deputy minister of defense prince Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Aziz said that "the Israeli brutal aggressions against the Palestinian people and Israel's denunciation to all principles of peace and the international norms, all necessitate the need of cooperation among our military forces to this effect."

The six GCC defense ministers of Saudi Arabia,, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman will discuss the project of using a communication system which links the general headquarters of the GCC member states and coordination of an inter-radar network.

The Saudi army chief of staff lt. Gen. Saleh al-Mahya has stressed in September that " these projects have been almost completed and will be opened shortly." Saudi local dailies issued in al-Riyadh that the project whose costs estimated at US $ 70 million is carried out by the Swedish Ericsson company while the second project whose costs is estimated at US$ 88 million to the American Hughes company.

During their meeting on September 12, the chiefs of staffs of the gulf states discussed " the development of the joint Gulf al-Jazira shield force." This was through setting up a military contingent of 22,000 troopers ( the current number of al-Jazira shield force is 5,000 troopers" from land, air and naval forces.