Gulf security أمن الخليج العربي

الأحد، 26 أغسطس 2007

U.S policy and The neglected Bedouin Tribal Factor in Gulf security


The Bedouin is an Arab who lives in one of the desert areas of the Arab world and raises camels, sheep, or goats. The definition somewhat became confusing in recent years Probably no more than 1 percent of all Bedouin still live in a purely that way.
Bedouins are the most indigenous of modern Arab people, their territory covers the Arabian deserts of All Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain.
The modern creation of national borders and the sprawl of cities and cultivated areas into the desert has reduced the Bedouins range and forced many to become only semi-nomadic, Each tribe has its own territory but as modernization encroaches on their range each tribe still knows its territory and the boundaries of those of other tribes.
Bedouin is dignified with an immense pride in being a Bedouin Two things shape the interactions of Bedouin people the Arab tradition of hospitality, and the Bedouin code of honor. Children are trained in the code of honor and tradition of hospitality from a very early age. Guests were assured of food and shelter for three and one-third days, and then protection for another three days after leaving the tent. Bedouins for years took strangers into their system and offered them the tribes' full protection and identity . (
Jabbur, Jibrail S. The Bedouins and the Desert: Aspects of Nomadic Life in the Arab East. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1995.)

They introduce themselves by giving their name, then naming two generations of male ancestors, and then stating their tribe. they speak Arabic, but it is a very rich, stylized Arabic dialect, It is somewhat comparable to the English of Shakespeare's day. Poetry is considered the highest art in Bedouin society; it is the outlet for emotional expressions otherwise restricted by the code of honor .
(Syed Saleem Shahzad, Bureau Chief, Pakistan Asia Times Online)

When he was in power Saddam Huseen knew that the Iraqi tribes who died fighting his wars were the only power that could destroy him,Three years after that When the U.S.camp Fallujah was under al-Qaeda terrorist actions ,the biggest help came from the Iraqi Tribes, the largely ignored power by US officials in that area . The Tribes in one of Iraq's most volatile provinces have joined together with a force of 20,000 men to fight the insurgency in their region, and have called on the U.S.-led military coalition for weapons. The biggest gain for the coalition was that they had a force on their side that know the people and the terrain.
(Ghanim Jawad, director of the London-based Al Khoei Foundation Islamic research institution)

The best examples of an Iraqi tribal leader is the first President of Iraq sheikh Ghazi Al-Yawar from Shammar tribe. Like any Bedouin boy he has been exposed to tribal politics from an early age; sheikhs made it a point to preside over tribal councils with their young children in attendance. The virtues of learning the skills of diplomacy and fair play as well as good administration were prized beyond measure among the tribes.


Among other qualities, King Abdullah of Saudi came to power because of his position as the strongman of the Saudi National Guard headed by him since 1963. The National Guard was originally made up of the finest of the fierce Bedouin warriors who helped Abdullah's father. And still recruit its personnel mostly from among the Bedouin tribes and its units were organized by tribal affiliation. National Guard Bedouin soldiers are said to be loyal to Abdullah more than their loyalty to their Owen tribes, Abdullah’s mother came from Shammar tribe, President Ghazi Al-Yawar tribe, and Bedouin influence in military units is not only in Saudi, and It is safe to say that 90 percent of the armed forces of the gulf states are staffed by tribesmen more than any other local sector of society .
(Keohane, Alan. Bedouin: Nomads of the Desert. London: Kyle Cathie Ltd., 1994)

Did tribes grew weaker when nomads settled into towns and cities in the gulf after the oil wealth?
not really ,largely because of the oil wealth Arabian gulf states has developed remarkably over the past decades and has become more urbanized compared to many countries, and its tribal system is still strong and deep-rooted.
Bedouins still exercised significant influence in local politics, for example, Kuwaitis in general have become convinced that democracy is the right path for ruling the country, therefore Kuwaitis are very eager to see the success of their parliamentary experience not just for them but for the sake of the entire Gulf region. And with at least three-quarters of the gulf states people as members of one of the Bedouin tribes states law makers well be from them .
The hereditary leaders of important Bedouin tribes have wielded political influence in the gulf states since its establishment. To keep the tribes united behind them the gulf states Governments have used religious, traditions and oil wealth force. This arrangement is still working in many states ,and instead of becoming the opposition the tribes have become the governments prime source of power ,continuing their role as the sword with some changes over time. Many Ruling families rose by that sword to local power for varying periods of time, ,and in every dynastic power struggle tribes came as the victorious sword. Bedouins can be seen in the NGOs and trade unions more than in the high government positions and the most common way to get a good job for many Gulf citizens today is by returning to a parliament member from his tribe or the tribal leaders.
Should any reason break down the unity of any state system in the region the people well revolve around the tribal system, they are bound by it and its ties of strict honor code than by nationality or even religion.

Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman, and Central Arabia 1908 by John Gordon Lorimer was the most thorough, detailed of Central and Eastern Arabia ever written, and came as an answer to the British officers and decision makers runing the area during the british rule of the arabian gulf. Volume II Geographical and Statistical of that work consists of a two-thousand page geographical gazetteer of the region, much of the material for which was gathered by Lorimer and his assistants during their field trips. It sets out in alphabetical order details of Bedouin tribes, the population of each tribe , head of each tripe , its districts, fighting force, horses, camels and Guns

For better understanding or for the gulf security Genealogies and tribal information are indispensable to any power and indeed to anyone who claims to know anything about the region.

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On sept. 3rd 2007 president Bush and his team met with local tribal leaders who have switched their allegiance from al-Qaida to the coalition. Working with Iraqi tribal leaders turns AlANBAR province from being the most violent and anti-government part of Iraq to one of the country's main security success stories.

Gulf seurity أمن الخليج العربي

Kuwait
تبين هذه المدونة كيف تمتع الخليج بأهمية كبيرة أدت إلى خلق عبء استراتيجي على أهله بصورة ظهرت فيها الجغرافيا وهي تثقل كاهل التاريخ وهي مدونة لاستشراف مستقبل الأمن في الخليج العربي The strategic importance of the Gulf region creates a strategic burden and show a good example of Geography as burden on history. This blog well examine this and forecast the Gulf's near future and events in its Iraq, Iran ,Saudi Arabia ,Kuwait, Bahrain ,Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman

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