By Mervat Diab The whole world is again closely watching the latest round of escalation of tension between Iraq and the United States, following Baghdad's decision to stop all forms of cooperation with the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) monitoring the destruction of Iraqi weapons. But neighbouring oil-rich Gulf countries don't appear to share the US's view on a possible military strike against Iraq, despite their deep mistrust of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. A number of political analysts are going as far as to say that some governments in the Gulf are angry with what they view as a determination by the US to strike Iraq. This opposition to military action, a reflection of the current public mood, is in sharp contrast to that which prevailed in 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Analysts attribute this change of mood, which emerged during the previous confrontation between Iraq and the US in February, to the growing economic problems being faced by the Gulf states. Nationals feel they have been paying a high price for serving US interests in the region since it led an international alliance to liberate Kuwait in 1991. The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -- which comprises Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain and Oman -- is currently suffering a sharp market depression, inflation of prices and limited employment opportunities for its own nationals. Furthermore, oil prices have been steadily dropping over the past few years, forcing governments to cut expenditure. Most monarchies in the region have enjoyed a relatively stable political atmosphere because of the services and facilities they have been able to offer. But as most of the states continue to pay the high costs of the 1991 Gulf War, the luxurious lifestyles enjoyed by well-off Gulf nationals has been markedly affected. Arab and Asian expatriates have also been hit: revenues and remittances made by the majority of Arabs living in the Gulf have dropped to low levels, and a number of Asian workers have had their contracts terminated in an attempt to create more jobs for young Gulf nationals. Echoing the problems facing governments in the Gulf, Saudi Minister of the Interior Prince Nayif Iben Abdel Aziz, said: "If something does happen, we will be the most affected since we are near Iraq." According to press reports, Saudi King Fahd told US Defence Secretary William Cohen, who wrapped up a regional tour last week, that his country was not willing to be used as a "springboard for attacks on Iraq". The reported reluctance by the Saudis to allow their territory to be used as a base for attacks against Iraq would limit US plans for launching a short-term strike from naval ships in Gulf waters. However, some newspaper reports in the US have indicated that judging by the prevailing mood among officials at the White House, a sustained military operation could well be an option. The UAE ships humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people every three months, in an attempt to alleviate the effects of tough economic sanctions. A high number of UAE citizens believe the sanctions are unjust and donate regularly to the shipments. On Monday, a ship carrying more than 50 passengers from Dubai arrived at Iraq's southern port of Um Al-Kasr. It was the first passenger ship to arrive in Iraq since sanctions were imposed eight years ago, and it opened up a new route to the country, which has only been accessible through Jordan since the sanctions were imposed. The Emirates, in particular, is keen to see the tension defused through diplomatic efforts. The country is involved in a dispute with Iran over three tiny Gulf islands and, like many of the Gulf states, views Iraq as the only country in the region capable of providing a balance to Iran's influence. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, whose economy is considered to be the most well-established of all the Gulf states, has already indicated that he is in favour of a diplomatic solution. Dubai is the main business hub of the Gulf and a further escalation of tension in the region would have a negative impact on the Emirate's ambitious plans. However, last February, after the stand-off between Iraq and the US ended, the Emirates struck a $6 billion military deal with the US, which many analysts saw as a way of compensating Washington for not supporting its stand against Iraq. In Kuwait, several officials were recently quoted as saying that their country was not "a party to the dispute between the United Nations and Iraq." Abdullah Bishara, former secretary-general of the GCC and a Kuwaiti national, said that "it is in our [Gulf countries] interest that peace reigns in this region and that there is serious cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations." Qatari, Bahraini and Omani newspapers were also critical of the reported plans by the US to deal strongly with the Iraqi leader. They said that Washington's previous action against Iraq has only increased the suffering of the Iraqi people.
