Defending the GCC

The 13th Meeting of the GCC Defence Ministers, held in Riyadh from 12 to 14 November, once again ended with proposals for joint activities which are likely to remain unfulfilled. Since its formation in 1981 the GCC has spoken of the need to bolster defence cooperation and coordination but internal disagreements have meant that the organisation has so far been unable to achieve progress in this respect either at the strategic or at the operational level.