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Saudi King Abdullah, makes bid to consolidate power over Gulf

by Courtesy

Saudi Arabia calls for Gulf ‘union’ – Abdullah opens summit with a proposal to set up strong entity to meet challenges

By Jumana Al Tamimi – December 20, 2011 – GulfNews

Dubai: In a surprise move, King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia told fellow Gulf leaders who are meeting in Riyadh to establish a Gulf Union to take on “the challenges that threaten our nations, security and stability.”

“I ask you today to move from a stage of cooperation to a stage of union in a single entity,” Abdullah said at the opening session of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit yesterday. He warned the bloc’s security was being targeted, without elaborating.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, led the UAE delegation.

The two-day summit will focus on several issues, including the security collaboration among the member states in the face of increasing Iranian threats and the fears of a growing Iranian military presence in Iraq after this week’s US withdrawal from Iraq.

“Iranian threats to the GCC will be tackled,” Abdul Aziz Bin Saqr, President of the Gulf Research Centre told Gulf News.

“There must be a clear GCC response to Iranian threats,” he said.
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Internal affairs

Arab Gulf countries have repeatedly accused Iran of interferring in their internal affairs, especially in Bahrain, Kuwait and the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, where there is a noticeable Shiite population — a charge Iran has denied.

Tehran, on the other hand, has criticised the way the Gulf governments handled the protests of its Shiite citizens. It also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and hinder the maritime movement across the strategic passage.

The GCC summit, which is the first since the wave of revolutions swept the Arab region late last year, is expected to discuss the military and security cooperation, some press reports said.