GCC Calls For WMD-Free Middle East.

Meeting in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 18-19, the rulers of the six Arab Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states called for a Middle East free of nuclear bombs and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD). But they singled out only Israel, not Iran, despite having voiced alarm at Tehran's nuclear ambitions at the end of their summit.

They made no strong statement about Syria's disagreements with the UN over an investigation into the killing of former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri, which delegates had said would be high on the agenda. The final communique said: "The council expresses its satisfaction with Syria's welcome of the UN resolution related to the [Hariri] probe. The council also reaffirms its keenness to maintain the sovereignty and security of both Lebanon and Syria". Speaking earlier on the sidelines of the summit, GCC Secretary-General Abdel Rahman al-Attiyya condemned the spate of bombings in Lebanon.

The final communique dubbed the "Abu Dhabi Declaration" focused on Israel's failure to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but did not voice US and European concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Attiyya, who on Dec. 18 said the summit would call on Iran to shun nuclear weapons, declined to explain why the communique did not specifically mention Tehran's activities. Reuters on Dec. 20 quoted an official as saying it was because the GCC wanted to keep diplomatic channels open. "They [GCC leaders] are very worried about Iran's nuclear programme. They opted for diplomacy so as not to alienate Tehran". The GCC settled instead for a reiteration of a previous proposal to "turn the Middle East...into an area free of WMD". The final communique said: "The council calls on Israel to join the NPT and to open its nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It also calls on the international community to press Israel to do so".

UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah al-Nu'aimi said the GCC demanded "guarantees and protection" from Iran's nuclear plant at Bushehr, on the Gulf coast. He said: "We are in a region very close to the nuclear reactor in Bushehr (which is only 280 km from Kuwait). We have no guarantees or protection against any leakage [from the reactor]... We want guarantees and protection". Bushehr is being built by Russia, which this month signed an agreement with Tehran for the supply of sophisticated mobile surface-to-air missile defence systems.

Reuters mentioned a draft GCC communique including a clause which stressed the importance of Iran's co-operation with the IAEA but this was deleted from the final version read by Nu'aimi. Nu'aimi also commented on a message from Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa to the GCC summit, in which latter said he was concerned "about Israel's nuclear programme". Ni'aimi said: "We share his concerns...but we...have our own concerns and fears. I hope Amr Moussa would take into consideration the six [GCC] member-states when he talks about the concerns of the Arabs", in reference to Iran's nuclear programme.

The summit's final communique talked about the need for a "radical modernisation of the [GCC] education systems". The GCC applauded the legislative elections in Iraq and hoped that the results "would turn a new page in the history of Iraq which would secure the territorial integrity of Iraq and its stability". They ratified a deal to create a European-style monetary union, but no date for when it would go into effect was set.

The Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, an Abu Dhabi-based think tank, said: The GCC states had a right to be "genuinely concerned about the implications of the Iranian nuclear programme". It warned against maintaining "silence" over the issue "because the Gulf states will pay the price for any escalation between Iran and the West", adding: "The Iranian messages aiming at pacifying the Gulf states have become ineffective".