Researchers: Asst. Lecturer Anwar Gulf Peninsula Shield Force, Missions and Roles (2003–2011), A Historical Review

Abstract

The Arab region in general was not the same before the occupation of Iraq in 2003 as it was after it. What the Gulf states feared had departed, namely the Saddam regime. It had been a source of concern and fear for the Gulf countries, and with its removal the danger was seen as removed.

At this point, discussions and calls began to end the Peninsula Shield Force. By 2005, the Sultanate of Oman, through its Foreign Minister at the time, Yusuf bin Alawi, officially called for dissolving the Peninsula Shield Force, arguing that the need for it had ended with the disappearance of the threat. After this statement and demand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia proposed dismantling the Peninsula Shield Force as a unified, centrally stationed force, and transforming it into specialized military units. Each state would supervise its own units, while keeping them on standby, to be called up in case of any emergency and combined with other units to form a unified force. Kuwait, for its part, called for finding an alternative to the Peninsula Shield Force after dismantling it, through a joint plan among the GCC states.

This set of views, decisions, and directions indicates the GCC states’ inability to manage a unified military force composed of several military units. Some argued that this direction was driven by a struggle over who would control the force. The competition was specifically between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Despite these divisions, the role of the Peninsula Shield Force in some battles cannot be denied. Even when it did not have a combat role, it participated through support and logistics, as happened during the 2003 war and occupation of Iraq. Its role was limited to rear support and logistics, and it had no role in combat operations or military planning.

In 2011, when protests occurred in Bahrain, the situation was different. The Peninsula Shield Force played a prominent role in suppressing protesters and maintaining the country’s security and stability. The protests were treated as unlawful events, and the protesters were treated as enemies rather than as citizens in revolt. Excessive force was used against them, using harsh methods and all available capabilities. The military units involved in this suppression did not come from all GCC states, since some refused to participate, such as the Sultanate of Oman.