High ProfilesHIGH PROFILES is a new feature that Al Defaiya launched with its October/November 2004 issue. Dedicated to distinguished Arab Leaders, this regular section aims at highlighting the life time achievements of these very Special Personalities. Following is a recap of Al Defaiya's first 18 Special Profiles published in this series:
Jun08/Jul08
President Suleiman is known for his moral standards, unhurriedness, straightforwardness, and his strict adherence to principles. The president was born in Amsheet on the 21 November, 1948, and graduated from the Military School in the year 1970. He was assigned Army Commander in the year 1998. The period in which he was Army Commander, was a period full of challenges in face of which he stood and acted firmly. The first challenge was carrying out a large military operation in Deneya hills, which targeted a large terrorist band. The army carried out a border correcting operation with Israel in the year 2000. The army succeeded in keeping peace in Lebanon following the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri. It also played a key role in defending the country during the war that Israel waged on Lebanon in 2006. In the year 2007, the army succeeded in dealing wisely with the riots that erupted in the country every now and then. The most dangerous challenge of all was the battle of Nahr al- Bared Camp. The army determined to eradicate terrorist groups in the camp. In the aftermath of this battle General Francois El-Hajj, who played a key role in the fight was assassinated at the end of the year 2007. General Suleiman was nominated for the presidency in September 2007, but the election process entered a difficult stage until it was accomplished in May 25th 2008. Mr. Suleiman refused any involvement of the army in internal struggles. He tried to obtain new weaponry and arms from various sources, and restructured the Lebanese Army whereby the existing brigades became light ones. In his oath speech, and in his meetings with several political, and financial figures in the country, the president asserted that he will work hard to:
President Suleiman believes in the Lebanese constitution, when implemented properly, and National Dialogue, as the right policy to be adopted by all the Lebanese parties. His election brought back the memory of General Fouad Chehab to the minds of the Lebanese, although the circumstances are different. Lebanon stands now on the verge of a new era. The heavy Arabic and international presence attests to the determination of world community to help in the process of resurrecting of the country. Dec07/Jan08
President Mubarak embodies the realist type of rulers, and entertains nothing but truth regardless of anything else. He was born on May 4th, 1928 to a middle class family. Mr. Mubarak enrolled in the Military College in 1948, after finishing his high school studies, and got his BA in 1950. Years after that, he enrolled in Fronze Military Academy in Moscow. Mubarak is a true airman. He checks everything in his life as other pilots check weather conditions. The president treats facts as the way he treats an engine of a plane. Devotion, discipline, and sacrifice are some of the aspects he learned from military life. Mr. Mubarak engaged in rebuilding Egyptian air forces, following its heavy losses incurred in 1967 war. War of attrition followed soon and spanned the 1967-1970 period. He was appointed Egyptian Air Force Chief of staff in 1969, and started lying concentrated offensive plans against Israeli forces in Sinai. The year 1972 witnessed his appointment as Commander of the Air Force. In October, 6th, 1973, many squadrons of planes began bombing Israeli Head Quarters located in the other side of the Suez Canal. Egyptian forces occupied Barleiv defence line easily. Second and third Egyptian armies moved to the eastern side of the canal. Mubarak was soon appointed Field Marshal. In 1975 he was appointed Vice President. President Anwar Al- Sadat was assassinated in October, 1981. Mr. Mubarak was elected as the fourth president of Egypt, then he was re-elected in the years 1987, 1993, 1999, and 2005. He continued the policy of economic openness, liberalization, and privatization. Egyptian central bank reserves reached 25 Billion Dollars at present. Foreign investments are still flowing into the country, but in low quantities. President Mubarak concentrated on reforming the main infrastructures of the country. A series of huge projects were implemented in Egypt: Telecommunications, international and local roads, metro, electrical and water projects. President Mubarak understands the serious problems that Egypt encounters. The most important of these are the disastrous increase in population, and its concentration around the Nile strip, and the limited cultivated area. The large bulk of the public sector is weighing heavily on the Egyptian economy, but some experts say that Egypt is witnessing its third renaissance. President Mubarak passed some new laws and regulations. The aim was to inject some dosage of democracy in the Egyptian political life. Egyptians were able, for the first time since the 1952 revolution, to publish new newspapers, express their views, and to establish new political parties. Foreign policy witnessed a breakthrough under his reign, when the Arab isolation, imposed on Egypt following the conclusion of the Camp David accords, began to crumble. The president implemented a policy of consolidating Arab solidarity, and defending small Arab states, such as Kuwait and Lebanon. The president faces opposition from many Egyptians and Arabs, even from friendly states, such as the United States, but they all respect him because he is a quiet politician. Is it safe to say that his reign was ideal? No, of course, but we can safely say that he showed a quiet pattern of ruler ship. return to top Oct07/Nov07
Libya is one of the Mediterranean countries. While desert constitutes 91% of its 1.75 Million Km2 area, it is considered the fourth largest Arab country. The country depends on oil exports, reaching as high as 45% of its GDP. Libya has a vast reserve of natural gas. Libyan military spending is estimated to be 4% of its GDP. It is said that the country has gold and hard currency reserves estimated to be 57.4 Billion Dollars, which are very near from the American reserve. While the Libyan economic system is Islamic Socialism, there is no such formal title as head of state, even though Al-Qaddafi is considered the real ruler of the country. The Libyan leader is the longest ruling of the Arab leaders, ruling since September 1969. He studied Law in the University of Libya, and then attended the Military College of Benghazi in 1963. He was sent to Britain to get further training in its military colleges. Colonel Al-Qaddafi headed a group of officers, executed a peaceful coup d’etat, and overthrew King Idriss. The new Libyan leader believed that Arab unity is the answer to the state of Arab vulnerability. Al-Qaddafi’s attempts to form some kind of union with other Arab countries were short lived. Libya engaged in military actions against its neighbouring countries, such as Chad, and Egypt 1979, following Camp David’s Accords. The Libyan leader stand-off with the west lasted long. American warships attacked Libyan coasts in March 1986. The country was subjected to an American arms embargo following the accusing of two Libyan officers of blasting Pan Am American airliner. The embargo was lifted in 2003, after Libyan consent to admit full responsibility of the incident, and to pay high compensations to victims’ families. Lifting embargo came after the visit of Nilson Mandella, ex-president of South Africa. The Libyan leader visited many African countries. Following the overthrowing of Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, Al-Qaddafi offered to abandon his country’s Mass Destruction Weapons Program, and to destroy all the equipments used in its manufacturing. The Libyan leader is working nowadays on three great projects:
return to top Jun07/Jul07
H.M. King Mohammad VI of Morocco King Mohammad VI is a believer in the saying, “Let the flowers bloom”. The result was a royal constitutional democracy that takes its legacy from the reality of the Moroccan society. Morocco occupies the remotest part of the northern west of the African continent. There are three lebensraums surrounding the country: The Arab world, Europe, and Africa. While most of the 446,000 sq. km that constitute its area, is agricultural, it has 1835 km of beautiful coasts that enjoy moderate climate. These coasts are the backbone of the tourism industry. Moroccan economy is considered one of the largest amongst Arab and African economies. The country’s GDP in 2006 is estimated at USD 147 Billion. King Mohammad IV is working towards achieving a high rate of economical growth. This goal is linked with the flow of foreign investments, and to the genius of Moroccan citizens. The king criticized the American policy, its calls to a greater Middle East, and its efforts to impose democracy in the area. He says that Morocco is not a part of the greater Middle East, because the country started its own democratic reforms. The main challenge now is the absence of security and peace worldwide, and the initiation of a dialogue is essential in Morocco and other countries. The king believes that it is necessary to implement a religious reform plan, because this reform is an essential step in the development of human beings. His Excellency says that counter terrorism is achieved in implementing a universal security plan. King Mohammad VI, the eighteenth king of the royal Alaweiyat family, was born on the 21st of August 1963. He earned his BS law degree from Mohammad V University in 1985. The king earned his PHD degree in law from Nice University. The king is a General in the Moroccan army since 1994. He sees in the armed forces a moral institution, in addition to its role as the shield of the kingdom. His Excellence aims to improve this institution, providing it with all necessary equipment. The army acquired modern air defense systems from Russia. Moroccan air forces modernized its fleet. The king believes that military conflicts are not the proper means to achieve the desired results. With a growth rate of 7%, the kingdom has a great opportunity to become a new economical tiger in the African and Arab areas. return to top Apr07/May07
H.E Zein El Abidine Bin Ali Tunisian President A Great pioneer of refinement in all its aspects, President Ben Ali assumed his responsibilities in November 1987, following the announcement that president Bourqeiba became uncapable to resume his responsibilities, due to his deteriorating health. Bin Ali was born in 3rd September 1936 in Hamam, Sousa to a middle class family. He busied himself in anti colonialist activities. Later, he became one of the earliest builders of the Tunisian army. He took military training in France and USA, specializing in artillery and air defense. Electronic engineering and computer studies were two of the many fields he studied. Bin Ali assumed many posts before becoming head of state. In 1964 he established the Military Security division, and remained in this post for ten years. Mr. Bin Ali was appointed military attaché to Morocco and Spain. In April 1980 he was appointed ambassador of Tunisia in Poland, and later he became minister of foreign affairs in 1985. He was appointed prime minister in October 1987. At that time Tunisia witnessed an atmosphere of conflicts in various fields. Following his appointment as president, he began an ambitious program of refinement in all fields. Amendment of the constitution was one of his early accomplishments. One of the brightest landmarks of the president is the economy. He faced a lot of economical problems, and succeeded in changing the Tunisian economy to an exporting one. The president laid both medium and long-range plans in order to strengthen the economy. A free trade agreement was signed with the European Union in 1995, and in 2006 the Tunisian economy was considered the most competent economy in Africa, and the Arab world. The founding of the National Solidarity Fund in 1992, followed by founding of the National Employment Fund, aimed at enhancing poor communities. Tunisia spends USD 400 million yearly, and it enjoys a low birth rate (15 per 1000) in a population of 10 million, which is considered lower than the international rate. return to top Feb07/Mar07
H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Head of UAE Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has special practical and executing capabilities, and liberal, social, and humanitarian way of thinking. He believes in economic and political freedom. H.H. was born in Al-ayn in 1948, but he was educated in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Khalifa is a great believer in gradual development of United Arab Emirates. The Sheikh continued in the path of his father. He is determined to proceed from founding the state to strengthening it. This process includes establishing constitutional institutions, holding general elections in 2004. His Highness draws from the ideas of his father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan, who was known in the Arab world as “Wise Zayed”. Not duplicating the democracies of other countries is one of these ideas. Other ideas include the diversification of the economy, and not relying on oil exports alone. H.H. Sheikh Kalifa believes in encouraging productivity in the country and replacing foreign labor with local one. Among other ideas adopted by Sheikh Khalifa were restructuring the economy and pushing it towards technology and knowledge, restructuring the education system in the country, and the effective participation in the Cooperation Council of Gulf States. Sheikh Khalifa is a keen believer in providing humanitarian aid to countries in need. The country has large financial investments in the Arab world, and other countries of the world. United Arab Emirates enjoys flourishing tourism due to the many incentives designed to encourage this important sector. If we are to shed some light upon the official posts held by Sheikh Khalifa, we notice that he started in 1960, when he was assigned to be the representative of the ruler of Abu Dhabi in the Eastern region. In 1969 he was named Crown Prince, when he started what was to be later on the army of UAE, while holding the posts of prime minister, minister of defense and minister of finance. In 1974 he was named deputy prime minister in the second government of U.A.E. The country witnessed a great leap towards modernization in that time, and then the defense capabilities of the country began to appear two yeas later. His Highness established effective social services in the country by the year 1981, and the state encouraged the citizens to take low-interest loans in order to build houses. Because of the Sheik’s fondness of education and science he ordered the building of three museums in Sadiyat island. return to top Dec06/Jan07
H.M. Qaboos Bin Said Sultan of Oman Oman was a very underdeveloped country before the Seventies of the last century. It was then a country lacking the simplest infrastructure necessary for a healthy economy. Most of the population lived on fishing, while the rest were simple farmers and traders. The historic leap forward began in 23rd of July 1970, with a speech given by the Crown Prince Qaboos Bin Said. The speech concentrated on starting a modern state, and lifting all the unnecessary restrictions on the activities of the people. The young prince renamed his country Sultanate of Oman, and he called on all expatriate Omani population living outside their country to come back, and participate in the process of rebuilding their own country. The new Sultan succeeded in spite of rebellious acts in some parts of the country. This success was more evident in building hundreds of new schools to house thousands of students. In 1986, the buildings of the university were completed. The building of a strong army was another challenge. Because of the strategic importance of the country, being the gateway of the gulf region, all efforts were made to build a corvette force system in the few past years. The Sultanate is modernizing its air forces, adding twelve modern F-16 fighters. The land forces of the army consist of 25,000 soldiers, tens of tanks and vehicles. Sultan Qaboos was born in 1940. He enrolled in a special educating institute in Britain at the age of sixteen. The Sultan enrolled in British Sand Hurst Royal Military Academy. Following his graduation, he served in Germany for one year within the British Battalion. The Sultan has a strong, quite personality, and he is highly educated in history, religion, and in military matters. He is known also for his strategic thinking, and his deep love for classical music. The Sultan, being an open minded Muslim, built many mosques throughout the country. The Sultan is a deep believer in peace, and he considers that the all struggles between nations are just wasting of times of nation. Sultan Qaboos stands well with other Arab awakening age personalities, and he stands among the few who succeeded in building a modern state. return to top Oct/Nov-06
King Hamad Bin Issa I: Culture Of Openness Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa became ruler of Bahrain following his father's death in 1999. He was born in 1950, and at the age of fourteen he became Crown Prince in the year 1964. The prince started his military studies in England in 1967, and graduated as a military officer in 1968. The prince wanted to reach higher levels in his military studies, so he moved to the United States to enroll in “High Command and Chiefs of Staff” College. Sheikh Hamad came back to Bahrain in 1972, in order to put all his studies and expertise in the service of his country, and to build its armed forces. The process of modernizing the country started almost immediately after he became the ruler of the country. His efforts were culminated when Bahrain was transformed from an emirate to a kingdom, a step taken to emphasize the independence of the country. H.M. King Hamad believes in a modern, and liberal concept of the state. The state in this concept must defend the country, safe guard its security and stability, and follow a balanced foreign policy. This concept gives the private sector a greater role. The King believes that the presence of foreign forces in the country is not an embarrassing matter; so long it remains within strategic agreement. As for implementing democracy, the king believes that western democracy doesn't suit Arab societies, and that Arabs should invent a democracy that suits our needs and capabilities, and conforms to our habits and traditions. As for foreign policy H.M. refuses any partitioning in Iraq , or in any other country in the region. He calls for a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict that insures the historical rights of the Palestinians. The King calls for a unified Gulf Parliament, and he believes that all conflicts in the region must be solved peacefully. The King expressed his satisfaction upon solving the conflict between Bahrain and Qatar . The solution came after putting the conflict in the hands of an international court. He even suggested building a bridge between Qatar and Bahrain , in order to enhance relations between the two countries. H.M. King Hamad showed his interest in sports. He believes that sports can play an important role in increasing the vitality of the youth, and decreasing diseases among them. In addition to sports he is a poet, and a great lover of literature. The King's interests extend to history and old documents, so he established a document-gathering center in Bahrain , specializing in old documents, especially British documents concerning Bahrain . Interests of the king include horses, and especially Arabian breed. H.M. King Hamad is working upon modernizing Bahrain by introducing democracy gradually to the country, and by modernizing the armed forces. The defense policy included acquiring new airplanes capable of defending the sovereignty of the country. Bahrain is now an important center for foreign investments, and banking activities, and tourism. return to top Jun/Jul-06
In 1957, Abdul Aziz Bou Tafliqa joined the Algerian National Liberation Army as a general observer for the fifth state, then as an officer in the 4th and 7th regions of the state before becoming a member of the general staff. In 1960, he was charged with a Political Military mission for preventing the imperial power from seperating the north of the country as an independent state and leave the south under the French mandate. He founded the southern front and was able to impose operational and administrative issues. Two years later, Abdul Aziz realized the importance of farewelling the arms and shifted to political struggle, he joined the Founding Council as a member for legislative missions and making decisions, and this council led him to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1963 in one of the governments of president Ahmed Bin Bella. In 1964, he was elected as a member of the committee of the Liberation Front Party, and participated in ousting Bin Bella and electing Colonel Hawari Bou Median as an Algerian president in 1965. During the Arab Israeli war of 1967, Minister Bou Tafliqa was very active, and very dynamic, he could insure the arrival of Soviet weapons to Egypt and Syria after the defeat of June 1967. In 1978 and after the death of president Bou Median, he left the country for few years and returned in 1987 to be re-elected as a member of the central committee. Abdul Aziz Bou Tafliqa was nominated for presidency as an independent figure and was elected on April 15, 1998 by the vast majority of the Algerians as a president of the republic. Since then, President Bou Tafliqa worked to maintain peace and security in the country; he conducted administrative reforms to reinforce the Algerian state.
At the International level, Algeria restored its role, and within the African union its leader ship. return to top April/May-06
Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces in the United Arab Emirates, is considered one of the world’s most prominent figures. His name is linked with the capable Emirate’s Armed Forces. After his graduation from Sand Hurst military college in the year 1979, he joined the armed forces and continued to gain higher ranks. After taking many military courses, he finally became Chief-of- Staff in the year 1993. His capability of adapting a weapon, only to develop it, is none anywhere obvious than in F-16 and Mirage-2000 fighter jets deal. The Emirate’s F-16 is more developed even than the American ones in service. The planes lay somewhere, between forth and fifth generations. Lieutenant General Pilot Sheikh Mohammad does not accept any weapon but in full capacity. But the climax of development efforts is the frigate “Baynona”, being built according to local Emirate’s specifications. The Emirate’s owns now 146 jets, flown by Emirate’s pilots. Another policy adopted by the Sheikh is diversifying weaponry sources. This policy explains why Emirate’s bought Mirage-2000 to be in balance of F-16 jets. He refuses any conditional sales also, as in the case of the cancelled purchase of American AWACS, despite the urgency of having such planes in the area. Sheikh Mohammad has his own vision in the development process of his country. He established many industries and companies. Abu Dhabi Ship Building and Maintenance, and GAMCO, the company specializing in the maintenance of planes, are best examples of his visions. Many oil and gas projects could be attributed to his ambitious thinking also. The Sheikh believes that developing countries should compete, rather than coordinate, with other countries. This policy is nothing new; it is inherited from his father Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. return to top February/March-06
King Abdullah II, who took over the throne in the year 1999, after the death of his father, King Hussein Bin Talal, has a well – advanced and modern perception of the world. The energetic king knows that we are living in age Globalization, and the continuous advancement of information technology. He believes that Jordan must conform to the modern age by reforming its rules and laws. The King’s belief in democracy and freedom of speech within certain rules is deep – rooted. So is his reserved openness and cooperation with other countries. The King is realistic in the goals he sets for his people, and he has much faith that Jordanians are able to build their new strong economy. Despite the fact that Jordan is poor in natural resources, except for phosphate and potassium, the GDP of the country is acceptable and expenditure on its armed force is very large compared to the overall budget. Jordan was able to attract foreign and Arab investments. King Abdullah II concentrated early on re-equipping his armed forces with modern deterring equipment, such as modern Challenger-1 tanks, some F-16 fighter jets. But when terrorism, aiming at devastating in the country and ruining stability struck in the near past, Jordanians answered with more coherence with their King. Despite the horrible threat, the Jordanian government and people are ready to fight terrorism before it becomes deep – rooted. The young prince joined the Military Sand Hurst Royal Academy in 1980, and served in the Royal Cavalry in Germany and Britain. Then he joined the university of Oxford, where he got special studies on the Middle East. After coming back to Jordan, he joined the Jordanian army in 40th armored brigade. Then he took courses with the outside services in George Town University in Washington, taking studies in international affairs. The king rejoined the Army serving in its royal tank battalion. The young prince was named Crown Prince on 24th January 1999, only to be The King of Jordan on February 1999. December-05/January-06
Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi is an officer dedicated to executing orders literally. He is a master in surprising the enemy, and a master in the use of armaments and its techniques. Marshal Tantawi fought three wars, the 1956 Suez war, the 1967 six-days war, and the October 1973 war. He believes that proper training compensates for inadequate weaponry. And maintains also that military life means seriousness that is based upon advanced scientific concepts, discipline, and continuous training. From the beginning the Marshal Tantawi chose to join the land forces, because it comprises virtually everything: attack, holding the land, overseeing, surveillance, setting ambushes, tricking the enemy, assault on enemy positions, storming these positions and so on. All through his military life, he believed in working silently. He doesn’t give any releases or statements. He started the process of rehabilitating the Egyptian armed forces, and he succeeded in the task. Egyptian army has 300,000 soldiers in addition to 320,000 soldiers in reserve. Land forces have two armies, the second and the third. Each army comprises four armored units, one artillery brigade, and one mechanical brigade, and an air defense brigade. Egyptian air force comprises many modern F-16 jet fighters. Land forces relies upon well-fortified Abrams tanks, and Dutch made YPR-765 vehicles that are made according to Atlantic specifications, in addition to modern artillery both self propelled and towed. While the navy has American made frigates, Knox and Perry, in addition to modern air defense systems. Field Marshal Tantawi has a very wide political and military horizon. He believes that the security of the Arab World can be reached by enabling the joint military and political Arab command, and the establishing of a military Arab Defense Treaty. He maintains that all internal Arab conflicts should be resolved, and should be replaced by a new spirit of cooperation and coordination. return to top October/November 2005
The prince of Qatar Sheikh Hamad is one of the leading Arab renaissance leaders in the second half of the twentieth century. The prince was born in 1952, and after finishing his secondary studies; he attended Sand Hurst royal military college in the United Kingdom. After graduating in 1971, the prince joined the armed forces as Colonel before becoming General and Commander- in- Chief of Qatari armed forces. In his efforts to build and renovate the armed forces the prince launched many new units in the army, such as the navy and air force. His highness did not forget that the development of human resources is the main target of the state of Qatar. He established the Educational City, which scored important achievements. The year of 1995 was a turning point in the history of Qatar, both politically and economically. In the political side, Qatar has tightened its relations with Iraq, Iran, and opened a liaison office with Israel without losing its strong ties with all other parties. Also, the first municipal elections ever were held in this country, and the first parliamentary elections would be held soon. As for the economy, His Highness established Al-Jazira news network, which became in no time CNN’s and BBC’s rival. The prince established also an airline company called Qatar Airways, and it soon became one of the leading airlines in the region. The country’s GDP is estimated to exceed USD 17.54 billion for the year of 2004. With a growth rate of 8.6 % in 2002,the diversification of the economy is still a major concern of Sheikh Ham’ ad. The state should not rely on oil exports only, so it plans to build natural gas pipelines that enable exporting natural gas to other Emirates cities and to Pakistan. Some of these pipelines would be built being under seabed. Qatar holds strong military ties with USA, but its economical ties with Japan are very strong. The two military American bases in this country, that played the role of the back base of the invading American forces in Iraq, are temporary ones. The state maintains defense agreements with its neighboring Gulf States, and the armed forces of the country should be able to defend it against any foreign invading forces. Under the reign of Sheikh Ham’ ad, the Qatari society became a dynamic one, with aims of economical diversification, and keeping an eye to holding regional and international status as well.return to top June/July 2005
How the prince who started his career in the military and shifted to diplomacy, considers foreign policy to be the first front line in the defense of a country, only when the right decisions are taken. He welcomes missions only to see it accomplished. Make less enemies and plenty of friends, respect international agreements and do not interfere in other countries' affairs, are some of his ideals. Prince Bandar was born in the city of Taif on 02 March 1949. From his early childhood he showed interest in sports and science. At the age of 16 he joined the British Royal Air force Academy in Cornwell to graduate in 1968. After joining Saudi Royal Air force as Captain lieutenant, Prince Bandar trained in fighter jets such as F-102 and F-15 in Britain and United States. While still in the army, he took many courses both in military matters and international political affairs. The prince also participated in 1978 in the discussions that took place between a senate committee and the American government concerning supplying some F-15 fighter jets to the Saudi Arabia. And again he participated in the negotiations held to acquire three early warning AWACS planes. Following his success in these two deals, he was appointed military attaché in the Saudi embassy in Washington. The career of prince Bandar was not limited to military matters, but included missions such as the king's special envoy to the Lebanon during the civil war there, in an attempt to implement peace in that country. He presided his country's delegation to Madrid peace conference in the year 1991. The prince was appointed ambassador of his country to the US in the year 1983. And now, after 22 years he is still holding that post. The distinctive views on international affairs that Prince Bandar stick to might not meet the approval of many politicians. His views are characterized with objectivity. He believes that peaceful nations must possess deterrent power, because defenseless nations invite aggression on its territory, such as what happened in Kuwait when it was invaded by Iraq. As for the war on terrorism, he is still able to provide views from military standpoint, although he left the military since 20 years. He says that war means catastrophe, pain and sacrifice. It is for these reasons that war should be intensive, quick and attacking, for these factors mean fewer victims and less destruction. The prince holds that terrorists should not be given any opportunity whatsoever to escape or change their attitudes, but rather they should be eliminated. The Prince says that it is easier to deal with any crisis as firmly as king Abdul-Aziz dealt with his enemies in the year 1929 in the Seblah battle, thus insuring victory and unity of the kingdom. He says that almighty God holds the keys of victory against those who revolted against the state and their religion. As for the Saudi-American relations, the prince believes that although it is facing turmoil nowadays, it remains vested and solid. Issues such as war on terrorism, and cooperation in various defense, trading and security of the Gulf region, are all agreed upon. But issues such as interfering in internal affairs of the country, and imposing ruling patterns that are alien to religion and customs of the Arab world, and the bitter criticism by some American extremists towards Islam and its holy book, are all matters of disagreement between the two sides. return to top April/May 2005
Minister of Defence yet, this post is not his only responsibility. He is also, among others, Second Deputy Prime Minister, President of the General Institution of Military Industries, Chairman of the Saudi Program for Strategic Stocking, and Chairman of the Offset Committee. Prince Sultan was born in 1928 in Riyadh and was appointed Prince of this same city in 1947. In 1953, with the formation of the first cabinet, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and then, in 1955, he took on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Transportation. His honorable achievements in all the tasks delegated to him made him a worthy candidate for his next assignment. In 1963, Prince Sultan was appointed Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. He set plans and goals to his new task: turning the Saudi Army into a modern Armed Forces trained to accomplish any mission assigned to it, equipping the Armed Forces with advanced weaponry that suits the anticipated defensive operations, and make the elements of mobility and maneuverability available to these forces to enable it work in any war theater. Characterized by non leniency and determination, Prince Sultan yet also possesses special humanitarian and cultural qualities that he exhibited when he inaugurated the Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Charity Organization, which includes many divisions such as Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz City for Humanitarian Services and the Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Program for Medical and Educational Communications. These humanitarian activities made him receive one of the most important prizes in the world: Sheikh Rashed's Prize for Humanitarian Personality, which was granted to him by the United Arab Emirates in 2002, and sheikh Ahmed Bin Said Al Maktoum handed the prize during a ceremony held on that occasion. return to top February/March 2005
Kuwait laid out its strategy skillfully. It established defense relations with Superpowers, instituted a military alliance with its neighboring Gulf countries and built a capable defensive force. This skill is due to many great leaders, among them is the person directly in charge of armament and defense: Sheikh Jaber Moubarak Al Hamad Al Sabbah, renowned for his management experience, diplomacy and communication capabilities. Sheikh Jaber was born in 1948. He was in charge of many posts. He was appointed as Mayor of Hawly, then Mayor of Ahmady. After that, he was entrusted with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Information. He also worked as counselor in the offices of the Prince of Kuwait. On February 14th, 2001, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. In March 2003, the US and UK waged war on Iraq. This event was a test for the Defense Minister, which he passed with flying colors by carefully managing defense issues of the Kuwaiti nation. In July 2003, Sheikh Jaber was reposted as Minister of Defence in the Government of Sheikh Sabbah Al Ahmad Al Sabbah. He immediately ensured the world that Kuwaiti defense programs will remain unchanged, for he sees that defense building is an ongoing operation. The Sheikh also proceeded in the policy of variation of weapon suppliers. Even though the US considers Kuwait as an ally with no veto on arms procurement, and even though the Kuwaiti Air Force relies on American products (F-18s), Kuwaiti Land Forces are highly varied (Chinese SP Howitzers, Russian BMP-3 Vehicles, British Warrior Vehicles, as well as its Navy (French Warships). Kuwait now intends to build a strong Navy and reinforce the Air Force with 20 Super Hornet F-18s with a strategic aim of building an army of 40,000 well trained troops equipped with the latest technologies. return to top December 2004/January 2005
Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz was born in 1924. His love for culture and education pushed him to create King Abdul Aziz's Public Library in Riyadh and to launch, in the early eighties, the National Festival of Heritage and Culture held yearly in Janaderyia. In 1962, he was entrusted with leadership of the National Guard. The Prince set a number of goals to modernize the National Guard and to turn it from just a security sector into an advanced military arm participating in defending the national soil. In 1974, Prince Abdullah signed a deal to modernize the National Guard on the organizational, training and weaponry levels. In 1978, the National Guard signed a deal with the British Government to provide it with the latest communication systems and to train technicians on operation, maintenance and satellite internal communications. In 1983, Prince Abdullah inaugurated King Khaled's Military School equipped with the latest facilities to form capable military leaders. From the beginning, Prince Abdullah realized the importance of human development, so he recommended to build schools and different military and technical centers required by the National Guard to perfect its training and formation. In 1975, he ordered the creation of the Education and Culture Administration which supervises 28 learning centers and 7 adult schools. Other healthcare projects were carried out to provide services for National Guard personnel, their families and civilians. The National Guard also built a residential city for its enlisted members which included 12,539 villas costing around 15 million riyals. The efforts of Prince Abdullah were not limited to the National Guard for he had a big share in drawing local, regional and Arab politics being a member of the High Committee for the management of political, economic and military affairs in the Kingdom. In 1982, he was selected as Crown Prince, President of the National Guard and Deputy Prime Minister. return to top October/November 2004
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum was born in 1949. In 1968, he graduated with honors from Monz Military School in Britain. When he returned to Dubai, he took charge of the Police and General Security. After the unification of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed was appointed Minister of Defence, the youngest in the world. Sheikh Rashed also entrusted his son, Sheikh Mohamed, with many tasks, such as Petrol Dubai, Dubai Dry Docks and Dubai International Airport. The tasks were accomplished with perfection making Sheikh Mohamed earn local and worldwide respect. In 1995, Sheikh Mohamed was appointed Crown Prince of Dubai. He set his mark on bringing the emirate into the twenty first century. To achieve this, Sheikh Mohamed worked vigorously on eliminating bureaucracy, a first among Arab Leaders. He also focused on human development. He points out that launching projects and finishing them in record-breaking deadlines as well as convincing the private sector to participate in new ventures are also primordial factors for development. Sheikh Mohamed topped these goals by creating the first Electronic Government in history, a government in which public administrations are linked via electronic web. In 2001, he inaugurated the infamous Dubai Internet City for every type of electronic application. He also launched Dubai Media City. Furthermore, Sheikh Mohamed embarked on innovative projects, such as Burj El Arab, and Burj Dubai, set to be the tallest building in the world. In addition, we can find Jumaiyra and Jebel Ali Palm Islands, and Dubai Land Project. Believing in tourism as a human interaction experience, the Sheikh laid out plans to modernize Dubai Airport so it will have a capacity of 60 million passengers. He took special care of Emirates Airlines which, a few years from now, will have a fleet of 67 aircrafts. return to top |
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MILITARY BALANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
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