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13 December 2010 By Tariq Alhomayed The Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] summit which is
taking place today in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi will
be different than any previous summit for the people
of the region and neighboring countries, and this is
before we even look at what is on the summit's agenda
or listen to it's closing speech. As I said in my last article, we are living in a
post-WikiLeaks world, and the people of the region and
our neighboring countries are more reassured today
than at any time before that the Gulf leaders are in
agreement with regards to their opinions towards the
Iranian threat, and particularly the threat
represented by Iran's nuclear project. Therefore regardless of the decisions that will be
issued by the Gulf leaders - which will no doubt be
issued in elegant diplomatic language as usual - what
is new today is that observers, including includes
everybody in the region, are now aware that their
leaders hold similar views with regards to the threats
facing Arab Gulf States, with the most dangerous of
these threats represented by Iran's nuclear project.
The leaked US diplomatic cables revealed to us the
Gulf view towards the threat represented by the
Iranian nuclear project, in contras to the [official]
diplomatic statements that refrained from saying much
about the Iranian nuclear project and the threat that
this represents. The people of the region are
suspicios towards this nculear project, and
increasingly concerned about their future, and the
future of their children. However today the situation is completely
different, and this is the most important reason why
this summit was guaranteed to be successful even
before it began, for the people of the region know and
agree with the viewpoint held by their leaders. The
Iranians must also remember that the GCC - which has
existed since its establishment [in 1981] despite all
of the differences in opinion and viewpoint between
its member states – is meeting today to complete
yesterday's message, as well as to send a clear and
important message informing Iran that we remember why
these countries first decided to meet, and we are
still together. The GCC remains one of the most important Arab
endeavors in the region, thanks to its unity and
cohesion. GCC State leaders have expressed their
appreciation of the value and importance of this
organization, and these leaders are well aware that
the GCC is an important umbrella for the region, and
there is no need to overstate its decisions or falsify
slogans [to prove this]. The meeting of the GCC State leaders today in Abu
Dhabi sends a message to reassure the people of the
region, and it is also a message to Iran and others
that the GCC States will not accept any compromise on
its security and interests. The leaked diplomatic
cables revealed a convergence and clarity with regards
to the viewpoint of GCC States towards the threat
represented by the Iranian nuclear project on the
region as a whole, and this is what guaranteed that
this summit would be a success, even before it began.
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest
person to be appointed that position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from
King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory
courses towards a Master's degree from George Washington University in
Washington D.C. He is based in London. |