| This stuff is getting real, and someone is getting nervous. |
... an Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means the Peninsula,as in the Arabian Peninsula. In recent years it has settled in to become slightly less biased than MSNBC, in about the same category as BBC or CBS...
Center for Studies stressed the need for conscription in Gulf states following events of recent years in the region.
The report said outside threats facing these countries strongly point to the historic and modern realities in the region, in addition to its geo-strategic location making these states vulnerable to continuing threats from major regional powers which always fight to impose their domination on the region.
The report written by Mohammad Eid, a specialist on Gulf affairs, said a number of factors compel GCC countries to adopt a compulsory draft system, and to actively face such permanent threats by forming a joint army of these countries' nationals to safeguard the security and peace of the region.
It pointed out that the region is witnessing continuous and rapid changes, and renewed challenges face the national security of these countries, especially the smaller states.
The report said that since the emergence of the Arab Spring, fundamental shifts and changes are expected, with accompanying implications during the coming decade.
The report stressed that the strategic environment of the Gulf will continuously change because of the developments on the structure of international systems, on one hand, and the momentum resulting from interactions and balances of the big powers which will influence Arab and Middle East systems on the other.
To effectively deal with the consequences of this turbulent environment, the report noted, there is urgent need for armed forces existing in each Gulf country based on renewable capabilities and qualified young people to meet the practical needs for protecting the security and peace of these states.
The report said the abundance of oil money must be invested in developing a qualified national army, equipped with the most state-of-the-art military technologies and techniques.
"Gulf states should consider the development of a qualified national army as a substitute for small-sized armies, as is the case with a number of countries in the world, which are similar to Gulf states in terms of population and in-depth strategic importance. On the other hand, relying on the most sophisticated weapons and technology without the availability of skilled human resources is a negative factor ... and not in the best interests of the GCC countries," said the report.
The positive side of such a decision is that it will contribute to including and embracing the younger generation to the military to support the defense institutions of the Gulf region to face any possible outside aggression or attacks.
There are a number of obstacles hindering the application of conscription in Gulf states, including the prevailing culture, and related economic, administrative and technical dimensions.