GCC to carry out live ammunition maneuver in the year 2000

The Gulf Cooperation Council's assistant secretary general for military affairs, Lt. Gen Faleh al-Shatti, has revealed that the year 2000 will witness "a large live-ammunition exercise to be carried out by 'al-Jazira Sword' deterrent force in Hafr al-Baten, in northeastern Saudi Arabia."

Al-Shatti added the maneuver was approved by the GCC defense ministers' council during its recent meeting in Riyadh last week. He told the Saudi daily Okaz in a statement published on Tuesday that the GCC's 19th summit, to begin in Abu Dhabi on December 7, will ratify the maneuver project. He added that all branches of the GCC's six-member states' land, air, naval and air defense armed forces are taking part.

Al-Shatti continued the maneuver aims at unifying fighting tactics and developing the capability to withstand any possible threats. He explained that one third of the "al-Jazira Sword" force is now available in Saudi Arabia, while the other two thirds will join it later in preparations for the maneuvers.

He added the current visits made by the new chief of al-Jazira Sword force, Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Babeir, to the GCC states are aimed at getting acquainted with the military training capabilities of the participating armies.