Since the shah’s fall and the following taking US embassy staff hostage in 1979 the United States has maintained significant military presence in the Persian Gulf. At first glance, the picture is different now. With the naval presence diminished, the US has withdrawn from Iraq and is to leave Afghanistan. This February the US announced that it was withdrawing one of its two aircraft carriers from the Persian Gulf to curtail the costs. The reports are coming on the plans to relocate the Fifth Fleet from Manama, its current home port. Taken together, these developments are viewed by some as changing posture in the region against the background of leaving Iraq and Afghanistan, reduction of energy imports, the fiscal cliff and the Asia pivot. Along with that, it’s clear Washington has not lost interest in the Persian Gulf or the Middle East. It just shifts its policy to leaning more heavily on its allies to ensure regional security.
Addressing the Center for Strategic & International Studies Gulf Roundtable on April 18 Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said, «We face real danger at a time when resources are in decline. And this should worry most of us. At the same time, we’re not a nation nor a military in decline. We have it with us to stay strong, to remain a global leader, and more important, a reliable partner, and this should comfort you». Talking about new policy under the conditions of fiscal cliff, the General added, «It also means relying more on our other instruments of power to help underwrite global security. Of course, we won’t do this well if we don’t back diplomacy and development with sufficient dollars. And our partners will have to work with us and collaborate with us on accepting a greater share of the risk. Some are more ready and willing to do that than others. I have to say that the United Arab Emirates, for example, is our most credible and capable allies, especially in the Gulf region». (1)
The US has concluded multiple arms deals recently. On April 19 the US Defense Department announced Friday that it has reached a preliminary agreement on a complex $10 billion arms deal with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in what would represent the latest major weapons sale to U.S. allies in the Middle East. The orders pour water on the mill of military industry. The deal was finalized during the Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s April voyage to the Middle East (it will also need the assent of Congress). That deal comes on the heels of one signed in 2011, in which Saudi Arabia purchased fighter jets worth $29.4bn. Some analysts point out that burden-sharing is a sign that the relationship is growing. The deal includes the sale of KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, anti-air defence missiles and tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey troop transport planes to Israel as well as the sale of 25 F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to the UAE. The UAE and Saudi Arabia would also be allowed to purchase weapons with «standoff» capabilities enabling them to engage an enemy with precision at a distance. Although the monetary value of the agreement is large, previous deals have been bigger. In 2010, the Pentagon agreed to sell Riyadh $30 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets. In 2011, it signed a deal to sell $3.5 billion in missile-defense systems to the UAE. Israel receives more annual U.S. military aid than any other foreign country. The White House has proposed giving Israel $3.4 billion next year. But this particular agreement is unprecedented for the Middle East because it was negotiated simultaneously. U.S. officials indicated that the weapons are designed to boost each country’s military capabilities in the event of conflict with Iran.
On April 20-26 Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel went on a trip which took him to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Coming to Israel he commented on the aid package, he emphasizing that it was «a very clear signal to Tehran that the military option remains on the table over its nuclear program». He pointed out that, «The bottom line is that Iran is a threat, a real threat». He added, «The Iranians must be prevented from developing that capacity to build a nuclear weapon and deliver it». By and large at the same time as Hagel went on a Middle East voyage, the emir of Qatar met US President Barack Obama in the United States, an event preceded by White House visits by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister only a week before.
Intensifying shift to allies policy
Israel raised the issue of Washington’s support for deployment of Israeli aircraft in Turkey. Hagel promised to conduct consultations shying away from a definite answer. Tel Aviv said it was ready to offer Turkey Arrow long range air-defense systems, which would be interoperable with NATO radars already in place. Asked about renewed debate in the Israeli media that Israel might have to strike Iran by itself, Hagel said «every sovereign nation has the right to defend itself and protect itself».
The US Defense Secretary military aid agenda included advanced radar packages that extend Israel’s ability to see east (and west, north and south, but east is what matters most at the moment), anti-radiation air-to-surface missiles designed to take out an adversary’s air-defense radars, KC-135 refueling tankers and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft. The tankers will extend the range of Israel’s bombers, what is of special importance in the case of operation against Iran, and the Ospreys are particularly useful for inserting commandos into enemy territory. The sale of Ospreys is particularly notable, because Israel will be the first American ally allowed to buy them. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tilt rotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landingб and short takeoff and landing capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The V-22 first flew in 1989, and began flight testing and design alterations; the complexity and difficulties of being the first tilt rotor intended for military service in the world led to many years of development. Since entering service with the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force in 2007and 2009 respectively, the Osprey has been deployed in both combat and rescue operations over Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that Israel has drawn «very clear red lines» to the administration of President Bashar Assad, the first of which is that it won't allow the delivery of advanced weapons to «rogue elements» like Lebanese Shi'ite militia Hezbollah and global jihadists who have joined the Syrian insurgency. Regarding Israel's growing concerns about Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons, Ya'alon said that attempts to deliver such weapons into the hands of Hezbollah or other militant groups would constitute the crossing of a red line that would warrant Israeli military action. On April 22 French newspaper Le Figaro reported that Jordan has decided to let Israel use its airspace for conducting raids inside Syria. The newspaper noted two routes that will be opened to Israel – a southern route from the Negev and a route through Amman. The agreement will allow Israel to avoid flying over southern Lebanon.
Jordan visit was devoted to prospects of increasing bilateral military cooperation and regional issues. The two sides discussed potential responses should the Syrian conflict spill over onto Jordanian soil amidst reports alleging increased US-Jordan action towards Syria. Just before the visit the US unveiled impending dispatch of 200 military advisers and specialists in a bid to «improve readiness and prepare for a number of scenarios» in Syria.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be allowed to purchase weapons with «standoff» capabilities that enable them to engage the enemy with precision at a distance. The smart standoff weapons can navigate to their targets, strike with great precision and be launched at further distances than conventional weapons. Defence officials said the standoff arms would give the two countries more sophisticated systems than they currently have. The visit culminated a year of secret negotiations on a deal that Congressional officials said will be second only to the $29.5 billion sale of F-15 aircraft to Saudi Arabia announced in 2010. The United Arab Emirates will buy 26 F-16 warplanes, a package that could reach $5 billion alone, along with precision missiles that could be launched from those jets at distant ground targets. The United States and the United Arab Emirates agreed to hold regular bilateral defense consultations to further coordinate expanding military activities Saudi Arabia would buy the same class of advanced missile. The missile would fit the 84 F-15s that Saudi Arabia is currently buying under the previous arms deal, and it would be carried by the 26 F-16s the United Arab Emirates would buy under the new one. The missile, one senior official said, is to «address the threat posed by Iran». Israel was assured that use of the advanced missiles would be monitored by United States Air Force personnel who train alongside both the Saudi and emirates militaries, and that any deployment would occur only after consultation with Americans.
Egypt will get 83 million dollars for the upgrade of Cairo West airbase, which hosts the recently US-delivered F-16s. Chuck Hagel met top government and defense officials to reaffirm the U.S. support for that country’s fledgling democracy and to discuss the relations with Israel, deteriorating security in the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt's domestic politics. Tensions rose after two rockets were fired from the Sinai at the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat in mid-April. Israel has complained to Egypt over the incident and threatened to take military action if the attacks continue.
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The US is obviously on the way to significantly boost the military capabilities of the Middle East allies. The new policy under the conditions of economic hardships is to compensate the reduction of the military presence by increasing the allies’ capabilities. It’s enough to have a cursory look at the military aid package offered by Mr. Hagel to understand the US is arming these states before attacking Iran and Syria. With US presence dwindled the regional arms race is spurred, the security risks are up and the goal of global domination is very much alive in US foreign policy thinking…
References:
1. http://www.jcs.mil/speech.aspx?id=1761
