Bahrain has pledged to increase military cooperation with Kuwait and help protect the sheikdom from any Iraqi attack. The pledge by Manama came during a visit to Kuwait by Bahraini King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa. It was the first open pledge of military support for Kuwait by a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. "We will rush to your side if called upon," King Hamad said. "Any threat to Kuwait represents a threat to Bahrain. And this is why we are here, in the framework of joint defense coordination with our Kuwaiti brothers." Hamad held talks with Kuwaiti Emir Jaber Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. Officials said the Hamad's visit focused on defense cooperation.
I wish I knew more about the internal politix of the Gulf States. Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar seem to have unobtrusively aligned themselves in a direction that's consciously opposite that of Soddy Arabia. They've had to keep their heads down while doing it — I'd guess the Soddies are miffed at having another king on the peninsula, f'instance; al-Jazeera manages to cheese everybody in the neighborhood periodically, to include the Sods; and the Master Kingdom managed to botch a coup in Qatar. While the Sods are busy exporting wahhabism, the Gulf States seem to spend more time on increasing their standard of living. |