The GCC Is Expanding Its Army, But For What? -- Al JAzeeraIs the expanded force designed to defend against Iran or to prevent an Arab Spring in the oil rich Gulf?
A proposal to boost the Peninsula Shield, the Gulf Cooperation Council's combined military force, has been approved by its six member states, and could increase to include 100,000 troops before the end of the year, the director of a government linked think-tank in Kuwait has told Al Jazeera .
The Peninsula Shield currently consists of about 40,000 troops and has its permanent base in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The proposed expansion would be a huge boost from the previous force's incarnation, whose numbers fluctuated between 5-10,000 troops during its existence.
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My Comment: With the decline of U.S. influence becoming more and more noticeable in the Middle East .... and Iran openly threatening its neighbors .... long standing security guarantees that have kept the peace in this part of the world are now under threat. I am just surprised that the GCC is putting a limit of 100,000 troops .... I expected more.
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