The Omani Pursuit of a Large Peninsula Shield Force: A Case Study of a Small State's Search for Security

Mason, Robert L.

doi:10.1080/13530194.2014.918801

“…It helps us to understand why this crisis happened and why reconciliation has been so difficult. We argue that the problem with current analyses of the crisis lies in the fact that realist scholars have continued to focus on traditional international security problems, that is, the way that alliances suffer from problems of potential abandonment and entrapment, struggles for sovereignty and independence, and whether the alliance members themselves fear each other militarily (Bilgin, 2018; Mason, 2014; Miller and Verhoeven, 2020). This view, however, does not account for an equally pressing security problem that Gulf States face: that of internal regime security (Barnett and Gause III, 1998: 162; Bianco and Stansfield, 2018; Bilgin, 2018: 118; Guzansky, 2014: 640).…”

Section: Entrusted Norms and Security Politics In The Gccmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entrusted norms: security, trust, and betrayal in the Gulf Cooperation Council crisis

Keating

¹

,

Abbott

²

2021

European Journal of International Relations

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Combining scholarship on norms and trust in International Relations, this article puts forward the concept of entrusted norms as a novel means to understand certain dynamics of cooperation and conflict in international politics. Entrusted norms differ from non-entrusted norms both in the manner that they are policed and in the reaction to their infringement. In the first case, there are few formal hedging mechanisms taken against potential defection. In the second case, when broken, they result in a betrayal reaction where a return to the behavioral status quo is insufficient to return to the political status quo. We illustrate the analytical usefulness of entrusted norms through an examination of the established norms of diplomacy within the Gulf Cooperation Council, paying particular attention to interactions between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the post-Arab Spring period. We argue that the perception of Qatar’s defection from an entrusted norm, the preservation of individual and collective dignity, contributed to the 2014 diplomatic rupture between these two states and set in motion a betrayal/attempted reconciliation cycle, where even Qatar’s attempts to move back to the behavioral status quo prior to the fallout have been insufficient to fully repair the relationship. In addition to providing a novel interpretation to this case, this paper highlights the need for further theoretical consideration of the severity and duration of punishment after norm transgression within social constructivism, reinforces the theoretical connection between social structures and emotions, and advocates for an expansion in the domains of trust that we study.

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“…Failure of the PSF to protect Kuwait led Sultan Qaboos of Oman in 1991 to propose the development of a largestanding army of 100,000 troops in the GCC. Though, "Oman was not wholly successful in achieving its objective during the main negotiation period up to 1995, it did manage to contribute to small shifts in GCC security policy during periods of conflict" (Mason, 2014). Thus, the 2001 formation of "Belt of Cooperation", a joint air defence command and control system, and 2004 agreement on "intelligence sharing" have made slight progress, and "they have helped lay the ground work for further cooperation" (Cordesman, 2013).…”

Section: Joint Military Commandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects for Collective Security Cooperation in the Gulf

Albasoos¹

2018

J. arts soc. sci.

0

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The process of establishing a new security structure in the Gulf should take into consideration the failures of the past and the political differences among GCC countries which have been impeding collective security in the Gulf. Collective security arrangements should consider the strategic circumstances that currently exist and the numerous security problems which have implications for security beyond the region itself. These include the Iraqi security situation, Iranian foreign policy and its nuclear and missile programmes, the stability of Yemen, borders disputes, and the deepening Sunni-Shia divide with its destabilising political and social effects on the region. Cooperation in the Gulf should not be limited to military aspects, but must also include economic development, counterterrorism, disaster response, environmental, social and cultural issues. Gulf States should institutionalise their security structures which is important for the establishment of a strong joint command needed to achieve collective security and prosperity and effectively leading to development and stability in the region.

show abstract

“…Failure of the PSF to protect Kuwait led Sultan Qaboos of Oman in 1991 to propose the development of a largestanding army of 100,000 troops in the GCC. Though, "Oman was not wholly successful in achieving its objective during the main negotiation period up to 1995, it did manage to contribute to small shifts in GCC security policy during periods of conflict" (Mason, 2014). Thus, the 2001 formation of "Belt of Cooperation", a joint air defence command and control system, and 2004 agreement on "intelligence sharing" have made slight progress, and "they have helped lay the ground work for further cooperation" (Cordesman, 2013).…”

Section: Joint Military Commandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects for Collective Security Cooperation in the Gulf

Albasoos

2018

J. arts soc. sci.

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The process of establishing a new security structure in the Gulf should take into consideration the failures of the past and the political differences among GCC countries which have been impeding collective security in the Gulf. Collective security arrangements should consider the strategic circumstances that currently exist and the numerous security problems which have implications for security beyond the region itself. These include the Iraqi security situation, Iranian foreign policy and its nuclear and missile programmes, the stability of Yemen, borders disputes, and the deepening Sunni-Shia divide with its destabilising political and social effects on the region. Cooperation in the Gulf should not be limited to military aspects, but must also include economic development, counterterrorism, disaster response, environmental, social and cultural issues. Gulf States should institutionalise their security structures which is important for the establishment of a strong joint command needed to achieve collective security and prosperity and effectively leading to development and stability in the region.

show abstract

The Omani Pursuit of a Large Peninsula Shield Force: A Case Study of a Small State's Search for Security

Cited by 7 publications

References 2 publications

Entrusted norms: security, trust, and betrayal in the Gulf Cooperation Council crisis

Entrusted norms: security, trust, and betrayal in the Gulf Cooperation Council crisis

Prospects for Collective Security Cooperation in the Gulf

Prospects for Collective Security Cooperation in the Gulf

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