KUWAIT: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries want to set up and develop a missile defense shield whether the United States is behind it or not, or even with Iran's strong objection, according to a defense analyst. Assaf Kfoury, general manager of Tactical Report sarl, said in a telephone interview from his office in Lebanon that the GCC countries will set up a ballistic missile defense shield, although studies are not yet complete and specific dates have not been revealed.
"The GCC defense ministers agreed at the end of their meeting in Abu Dhabi to complete the studies to set up a missile shield against ballistic missiles," he said.
Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, GCC Secretary-General, said during his keynote speech at the third edition of the Middle East Missile and Air Defence Symposium (Memad) last month that building a comprehensive plan for a missile defense shield is an important strategy to protect GCC countries and that cooperation sends a strong message to both allies and enemies.
"In war time, the most important thing is a civil defence system. Our success will depend on the strength of our defenses. We hope all Gulf countries will be ready to cooperate to solve international and regional problems".
The owner of the agency's 'Tactical Report' who is also the provider of Intelligence on Middle East Energy and Defense Affairs, said the missile defense shield will serve as counter response to Iranian ballistic missiles.
"It is aimed to deter and not intimidate Iran. The missile shield is designed to defend, not to attack," Kfoury explained. Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Iran strongly opposes a US-backed plan to build a missile defense shield within the Gulf States, Fars reported.
"This system is a plan of the US and Israel, and anyone who supports the plan is implementing the US and Israel's plot," Vahidi stated. Vahidi sharply criticized the US-backed missile defense project, saying that it is "against regional security."
Washington is seeking to expand its missile defense shield within the Gulf States. U.S. Patriot missiles are already deployed in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The West accuses Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, but Tehran insists it needs nuclear power solely to generate electricity.
US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, announced at the security forum in Riyadh last week the idea of a missile defense shield in the six GCC states which include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The most important outcome of the session last week was the decision to establish a common missile defense shield against Iran. "Saudi Arabia has first launched the project and Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Salman, is showing enthusiasm to go ahead with it. The UAE has already begun building its own shield with the THAAD program, and is waiting to link it to that of the GCC," Kfoury said.-Agency newspaper reports were used in this article.
© Kuwait Times 2012
