The British way

In the past 11 years the United States has occupied and undertaken nation building efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This included the formation and training of local military forces. The training efforts undertaken by the US to reform the Iraqi military and create the National Afghan Army may be the largest operation of its kind in US history. Our nation building attempts also rank up there in US history.  However, the US isn't the first nation to undertake such operations in the Middle East during the 20th century. Actually the British attempted nation building in Iraq and Jordan and also undertook programs to create and train local military groups around the Persian Gulf. 

I think there are some interesting lessons to be learned given the circumstances at the time the British carried out these operations. I'm going to have to take a closer look because the information is limited. I've been interested in the British involvement in the Trucial States, Oman, and Trans Jordan but there is much more to uncover in these countries and in Yemen and Iraq. 

Chris don't worry about reading the two paragraphs above just look at these:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/19088750@N00/popular-interesting/

Are missiles the answer for GCC security?

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/11/2012117112056212762.html

Last Saturday I read this article and thought this is a perfect example of the GCC really fails at collective security. The article talks about how the UAE and Qatar are seeking to buy $7.2 billion worth of Missile Defense systems from the US company Lockheed Martin Corporation. The system is called the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense) and incorporates mobile firing systems and radar. It goes on to talk about how the US deals with each GCC state on its own in building up defense capabilities.

My research paper for this class is about how political elitism has caused the GCC states to become irrational actors during attempts at collective security. Although the article doesn't mention political elites it does talk about US-Qatari and US-Emirati relations.

Notice how the article talks about the GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia, expressing interest in developing their security capabilities but the US only deals with the GCC on a state by state basis. My paper points to the lack of unified security efforts as a reason for the GCC's inability to really provide a security force for the entire council. The arms deal hasn't been completed yet but the way it is being done is what needs to be looked at. History has shown that the Peninsula Shield Force, the GCC collective security force, has not been effective and that the member states rely on the US for support against a strong Iran.

In my opinion this arms deal shows how specific interstate politics undermines GCC security efforts. Qatar and Iran share natural gas fields and have a different relationship than other states. The UAE and Iran have been at odds over territorial claims since its independence in 1971. The UAE and Qatar lack large armed forces and naval capabilities so bolstering missile defense seems like a rational way to compensate for weaknesses. However according to this article other member states's military capabilities have not been considered in order to purchase arms for the collective good of the GCC.

How the THAAD rocket system can be used to intercept missiles. Notice it eliminates the need for other equipment. This might be the most cost effective route for the Emirates and Qatar, but what about the other Gulf States and their missile defense capabilities?

THAAD rocket being fired from mobile launcher

سلاح ابيض "White weapons"

Ever since I posted the "guns are fun" post I've been thinking a lot about what I saw on my trips to the Middle East. Before firearms made it into the hands of the people Middle East the main weapons were the traditional swords, daggers, and knives. Although dated, the culture of the Gulf still retains the carrying of the traditional knives for symbolic purposes. It is particularly strong in the UAE, Oman, Yemen, and southern Saudi Arabia. The Khanjar (dagger in Arabic) or Jambiya (Yemeni colloquial for their style of dagger) are still hand made and worn by men. This tradition has been challenged by globalization but still retains a distinct identity marker for special occasions like weddings, eid's, national holidays, ect.

Every dagger is different and their design can give away what region they were from/who would have worn it. The daggers reflect the lifestyle of the wearer in some cases. I am also doing a translation piece for my Arabic class on ship building and turns out that their are special types of daggers used by sailors and fishermen.

The following pictures are all off the internet but I will describe their significance.

http://www.posterlounge.co.uk/traditional-khanjar-dagger-strapped-to-waist-of-omani-man-pr76327.html

This is the typical contemporary use of the traditional daggers in the Arabian Peninsula. Above is an Omani man dressed up for a celebration. Notice he has three weapons, his dagger (khanjar in Arabic), sword, and pistol. In his other hand he should be carrying the rawhide shield. Celebrations and dances called Aazis incorporate all these items.

Below is a group of Yemeni men wearing their daggers, locally called the jambiya. Notice the plain design and the shape of the belt and scabbard.

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1366&bih=600&tbm=isch&tbnid=vC6MtFSC5F6BRM:&imgrefurl=http://pictures.traveladventures.org/images/yemenipeople02&docid=6hqB32fMPnEzeM&imgurl=http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/images/yemenipeople02.jpg&w=500&h=375&ei=A8OyUKacDc6_0QHe24GgCg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=328&sig=114300205124519470858&page=1&tbnh=130&tbnw=163&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:123&tx=36&ty=81

Here you can see the daggers being worn in the late 1940's by British Explorer Wilfred Thesiger and his bedouin accomplices. Up until the modernization of the Gulf in the 1970's the daggers still played an essential part of daily life being used as a tool. Wilfred Thesiger wrote specifically about the usage of the daggers he and his friends wore in his book "Crossing the Sands". 

Types of daggers:

This is a typical example of the dagger made and carried in Oman and the UAE. I've also seen members of the royal families in Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia carry them for ceremonial purposes.

This picture shows how the daggers are designed for specific purposes. According to an online Omani source the smaller dagger (top) would be used by fisherman because they are easier to wear and work while on a ship. The larger dagger (bottom) is the regular size that would be used by people inland. 

Oman is unique because it has an official style of dagger known as the Saidi style. According to what I have been told by Omani's and what I have read this design was created by the wife of the Omani Sultan in the mid 19th century using Indian designs for the handle. The one I have pictured here has the Saidi style handle with a ton of silver filigree over the rhino horn handle. Oman and Yemen are also interesting because tribes have distinct dagger styles. The Saidi tribe is the Sultans tribe and would have daggers like the one above while other tribes will have more rings added to the scabbard. 

Outside of Oman the size, shape, and design of the daggers change. These two daggers show features that give away their origin. These daggers are from the Asir region of southern Saudi Arabia that borders Yemen. The upward point of the scabbard, belt design, and the cast silver parts are the key differences.

Here is a typical Yemeni Jambiya. Notice the belt, the design of the scabbard, and the wide blade. Yemeni knives can be huge and although they aren't decorated with silver like other types of daggers the handle is the most important part. A true Yemeni jambiya worn by a person of importance would have a rhino horn or other rare horn handle. 

This style of dagger is from the southern region of Oman along the Yemeni border. Notice how silver is used and the size of the blade. 

Like the previous dagger this is a typical design found in the southern region of Yemen and into southern Oman. There is more silver work than the other Yemeni jambiyas and the scabbard doesnt point up but the belt is the same wide style and the handle is the same. 

I find all this interesting because the daggers tell much more than one realizes. There isn't a lot of research on traditional daggers but from talking to my friends and searching around on google I have learn to tell where people are from/what they do from the blades they carry. 

Of course each dagger is handmade and one of a kind. 

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14878&highlight=omani+scabbard

http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/