Ayoon Wa Azan (The Union Will Reflect a Gulf Reality)

As much as I object to the idea of arming the Syrian opposition, I find myself enthusiastically in favor of the idea of the Gulf Union.The Gulf Cooperation Council succeeded because it was not stifling in a manner that pushed away the member states, nor loose in a manner that would have allowed each member to drift apart. The proposed union, as I understood from the statements of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, at the opening of the 122nd session of the GCC ministerial council, would not undermine in the least the sovereignty of any of the member states, or be a pretext to interfere in their internal affairs. Instead, it would offer the countries of the GCC the means for collective action through effective and dedicated bodies and institutes, that are at once flexible, swift and capable of realizing the policies and programs approved for them. In other words, the proposed union would be a step ahead of the GCC, yet one that would maintain the freedom of action of each member state both in domestic and foreign policies in accordance with their respective interests, within the framework of the common interests of all member states. Personally, I want to see the Union see the light as soon as tomorrow. But I know that the negotiations will be complex and strenuous, and should run their course if the members are to avoid any future pitfalls. Indeed, the rushed union between Egypt and Syria from 1958 until 1961 had failed and it subsequently put an end to the idea of all similar unions thereafter. Meanwhile, the Union will no doubt have enemies who will attempt to thwart it, and undermine if it sees the light. For example, the Washington Post ran an Associated Press story that was neither fair nor balanced on the subject, whose bottom line was that “Saudi [Arabia] widens Arab Spring backlash with Bahrain ‘union’ plans”.First of all, the Union includes all six nations of the GCC. Second, there is no need for a backlash against the Arab Spring because the countries of the GCC have been spared of its fallout, and what happened in Bahrain was merely an attempted coup at the instigation of Iran, and not a movement for the freedom of expression or democracy. Third, the last two countries in the Gulf that need a union between them are Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, because an unwritten union, alliance, and longstanding political and economic ties exist between the two countries already. I talk about what I know directly about the leaderships of the two countries, over 40 years, and what I have heard from the rulers and senior officials in the two countries has always left me with the impression that the relationship between them are deeply entrenched in hearts and minds before texts and clauses. The Union will make the countries of the Gulf a political, economic and military powerhouse capable of defending the rights of Arabs in the Gulf, and supporting other Arab countries, while expecting wide Arab support in return. I hope one day to see Yemen a member of the Gulf Union, for it has a large workforce that can access an open market in the GCC. I also believe it likely that Jordan and Morocco will have a special relationship with the Union, along the lines of the one being negotiated at present with the GCC. More importantly, however, there should be a close and direct relationship with Egypt, which represents the Sunni depth for the Gulf States, and its presence on the side of the Union would end any real or perceived threats from this or that neighbor. I write enthusiastically about this because I have been a pan-Arab unionist ever since I came to understand the meaning of this word. I have never changed this despite all setbacks, and I feel that the Gulf Union is the ideal solution to the problems faced by the countries of the GCC, but also that its establishment on a sound footing may be the forerunner of a larger Arab union. This Union is not designed to be against any internal or external party. Instead, it represents the interests of the member states. Here, I read in the same Associated Press story a statement attributed to the leader of the opposition group Al-Wefaq in Bahrain Sheikh Ali Salman, who was quoted as welcoming the Union provided that it does not turn Bahrain into a Saudi emirate. This is impossible, and it is something that neither Saudi Arabia nor Bahrain want. But to be sure, the Union will reflect a Gulf reality that Al-Wefaq refused to accept and it paid the price, which is, in short, that the Shiites in the Gulf, and in the Arab Peninsula and among all Arabs, are only ten percent of Muslims; yet their rights must be preserved one hundred percent.