Peninsula Shield Force

In 1984, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decided to create a joint military force of 10,000 soldiers divided into two brigades, called the Peninsula Shield Force, based in Saudi Arabia near the Kuwaiti and Iraqi borders.{{cite web| title =Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC]| publisher =GlobalSecurity.org | year =2011 | url =http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/gcc.htm | access-date =2011-03-17 }} The PSF is composed of infantry, armor, artillery, and combat support elements from each of the GCC countries.{{citation needed|date=March 2011}} In 1992, the Peninsula Shield Force was headed by a Saudi Arabian, based near King Khalid Military City at Hafar al Batin, and had one infantry brigade of 5,000 men from all the GCC member states. As of late 2006, the Peninsula Shield Force had 7,000 personnel and functioned as a joint intervention force to defend the joint border of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.{{Cite web|title=The Gulf Cooperation Council|url=https://www.rebuildthemiddleeast.com/international-relations/2018/7/30/the-gulf-cooperation-council|access-date=2021-07-07|website=Rebuild the Middle-East|language=en-US}} In November 2006, the GCC Joint Defense Council considered a Saudi proposal to expand the capabilities of the Shield and to establish a joint command and control system.{{Cite web|date=2006-11-02|title=GCC to Discuss 'Peninsula Shield' Expansion|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/285676|access-date=2021-07-07|website=Arab News|language=en}}

In December 2007, Kuwait's National Security Council chief Shaikh Ahmed Fahad Al Ahmed Al Sabah announced that the GCC plans to create a replacement for the Peninsula Shield Force. He stated that "the GCC options would always be unified just as they were when leaders declared the establishment of a common market at the Doha Summit."{{cite web| title =Gulf Daily News – Plan to replace Peninsula Shield| publisher =International Institute for Strategic Studies/Gulf Daily News | date =2007-12-09 | url =http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/press-coverage-2007/december-2007/plan-to-replace-peninsula-shield/ | access-date =2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604213737/http://www.iiss.org/whats-new/iiss-in-the-press/press-coverage-2007/december-2007/plan-to-replace-peninsula-shield/ |archive-date=2011-06-04 |url-status=live }}

{{As of|2011|03}}, the Peninsula Shield Force was commanded by Saudi Major General Mutlaq bin Salem Al-Azima and has about 40,000 troops{{cite news|author=Muqbil Al Saeri|title=A talk with Peninsula Shield force commander Mutlaq bin Salem Al Azima|date=March 2011| newspaper=Asharq al-Awsat|url=http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=24676|access-date=29 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110729040431/http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=24676|archive-date=29 July 2011|url-status=live}} and continues to have its permanent base at King Khalid Military City near Hafar al Batin.

According to Peninsula Shield Force commander Al-Azima, any intervention by the force must include participation from all GCC member states.

{{main|Invasion of Kuwait}}

The Peninsula Shield Force was not sufficiently developed to be deployed in defence of Kuwait ahead of the invasion and occupation of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990.{{cite book|author=European Union|title=The Middle East and North Africa |page=1297 |publisher=Routledge |year=2003 |isbn=1857431324}} A force of about 3,000 men from the Peninsula Shield Force, in addition to forces of its member states, took part in the liberation of Kuwait in March 1991.{{cite book|author=Ravi Shekhar Narain Singh Singh|title=Asian Strategic And Military Perspective|page=375|publisher=Lancer Publishers|year=2005|isbn=817062245X}}

10,000 troops and two ships of Peninsula Shield Force were deployed to Kuwait in February 2003 ahead of the Iraq War to protect Kuwait from potential Iraqi attacks. It did not participate in operations against Iraq.{{cite book|author=Malcolm C. Peck|title=The A to Z of the Gulf Arab States|page=31|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0810876361}}

{{Update|date=October 2018}}

{{See also|Bahraini uprising of 2011}}

On 14 March 2011, the Bahraini government requested Peninsula Shield Forces enter Bahrain via the causeway from Saudi Arabia. Forces were from Saudi Arabia and the UAE entered Bahrain while Kuwait and Oman refrained from sending troops.{{cite web|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/01/saudi-arabia-gcc-announcement.html|title=GCC Members Consider Future of Union|first=Abd al-Hadi|last=Khalaf|date=14 January 2013|website=Al-Monitor}} The Bahraini uprising was the first GCC deployment in relation to an internal threat.{{cite news | first=Ethan | last=Bronner |author2=Michael Slackman | title=Saudi Troops Enter Bahrain to Help Put Down Unrest, page 1 | date=2011-03-14 | work=The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/middleeast/15bahrain.html?_r=2 |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5xGDMzAla?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/middleeast/15bahrain.html?_r=2 |archive-date=2011-03-17 |url-status=live }}, {{cite news | first=Ethan | last=Bronner |author2=Michael Slackman | title=Saudi Troops Enter Bahrain to Help Put Down Unrest, page 2 | date=2011-03-14 | work=The New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/middleeast/15bahrain.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2 |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5xGDONmXc?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/middleeast/15bahrain.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2 |archive-date=2011-03-17 |url-status=live }} In late March, Peninsula Shield Force commander al-Azima stated that the role of the force in Bahrain was to "secure Bahrain's vital and strategically important military infrastructure from any foreign interference" and to protect Bahraini borders while Bahrain security forces are "preoccupied with [Bahraini] internal security". He denied that the force caused any Bahraini citizen to "suffer so much as a scratch", and said that the force entered Bahrain "to bring goodness, peace, and love".

The 2011 Bahraini intervention, involved about 10% of the Peninsula Shield Force. Every military unit present in Bahrain included soldiers from all six GCC member states. While some have argued that this was a Saudi attempt to block democratic processes taking hold, Bahraini officials argued that the Peninsula Shield Force was there to protect government facilities, rather than to intrude in the internal affairs of the country itself.{{Cite journal|last=Hassan|first=Oz|date=2015-04-16|title=Undermining the transatlantic democracy agenda? The Arab Spring and Saudi Arabia's counteracting democracy strategy|journal=Democratization|volume=22|issue=3|pages=479–495|doi=10.1080/13510347.2014.981161|issn=1351-0347|doi-access=free|url=http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/77923/2/WRAP_Undermining%20the%20transatlantic%20democracy%20agenda%20The%20Arab%20Spring%20and%20Saudi%20Arabia%20s%20counteracting%20democracy%20strategy.pdf}} In October 2011 the Peninsula Shield announced its intention to sue "a number of satellite TV channels for propagating lies and allegations about the Peninsula Shield forces that entered Bahrain". This followed persistent claims by these channels about the Gulf forces strafing demonstrators with warplanes and destroying mosques.{{cite web |url=http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=26784 |title=Peninsula Shield Force to Sue News channels Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English) |website=www.asharq-e.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006120054/http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=26784 |archive-date=6 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}

Frequent Saudi Arabian street protests in and near Qatif in mid to late March, originally calling for political prisoners to be released, extended to opposition to the Peninsula Shield Force's presence in Bahrain.{{cite news | title=Kuwait Navy set for Bahrain – Saudi Shias Rally | date=2011-03-18 | work=Arab Times | url=http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/166871/t/Kuwait-Navy-set-for-Bahrain/Default.aspx |access-date=2011-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127093138/http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/166871/t/Kuwait-Navy-set-for-Bahrain/Default.aspx |archive-date=2012-01-27 |url-status=live }}{{cite news | first=Cynthia | last=Johnston |author2=Samia Nakhoul | title=Saudi Shi'ite protests simmer as Bahrain conflict rages | date=2011-03-21 | publisher=Thomson Reuters | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-shiites-idUSTRE72K1H220110321?sp=true |access-date=2011-03-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110205649/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/21/us-saudi-shiites-idUSTRE72K1H220110321?sp=true |archive-date=2012-01-10 |url-status=live }}{{cite news | first=Jason | last=Benham | title=Hundreds of Saudi Shi'ites protest in east | date=2011-03-25 | publisher=Thomson Reuters | url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE72O3RL20110325?sp=true |access-date=2011-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110329085006/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE72O3RL20110325?sp=true |archive-date=2011-03-29 |url-status=dead }}

Chuck Hagel called for greater defense cooperation in the GCC, including bloc sales of American arms to the organization.{{cite web |last1=MUSTAFA |first1=AWAD |date=7 December 2013 |title=Hagel: US to Sell Weapons to GCC States as a Block [sic] |url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131207/DEFREG04/312070009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131208020827/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131207/DEFREG04/312070009 |archive-date=8 December 2013 |access-date=7 December 2013 |website=www.defensenews.com |publisher=Gannett Government Media Corporation}}

On 11 December 2013, the GCC announced the formation of a joint military command.{{cite web |url=http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/gulf-nations-announce-joint-military-command |title=Gulf Nations Announce Joint Military Command |date=13 December 2013 |website=atlanticcouncil.org |publisher=Atlantic Council |access-date=13 December 2013}}

In 2016, Saudi Arabia held a military drill named "North Thunder" with a consortium of 20 countries to display its military cooperation with Arab countries. Pakistan, Djibouti, and other nations also contributed to the drill.{{cite web|title=North Thunder military exercises begin in Saudi Arabia|url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/northern-thunder-military-exercises-begin-in-saudi-arabia-1.1673122|website=Gulf News|date=15 February 2016 |access-date=3 March 2017}}

• Military of Bahrain
• Military of Kuwait
• Military of Oman
• Military of Qatar
• Military of Saudi Arabia
• Military of the United Arab Emirates

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110717061700/http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA378521 The Gulf Cooperation Council's Peninsular Shield Force at Defense Technical Information Center]
• [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=83184&d=2&m=11&y=2006 GCC to Discuss ‘Peninsula Shield’ Expansion], M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Gulf News, 2 November 2006

{{Gulf Cooperation Council}}

{{Saudi security forces}}

Category:International organizations based in the Middle East

Category:Gulf Cooperation Council

Category:Organizations established in 1984

Category:International military organizations

Category:20th-century military alliances

Category:21st-century military alliances

Category:Bahraini uprising of 2011

Category:Military alliances involving Saudi Arabia