Category World News

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Joint Defence Council held an emergency session in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, to discuss urgent regional security measures in response to the recent Israeli strike on a Hamas office in Qatar’s capital, which killed six people.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi said the attack on the State of Qatar can be considered an attack on all GCC countries.

AlBudaiwi said member states would activate joint defence mechanisms, enhance intelligence sharing, coordinate aerial positions, activate an early-warning system against ballistic missiles and carry out joint training exercises, including a regional air force drill.

Qatar is the seventh country Israel has bombed since the start of this year.

Which countries make up the GCC, and what do they spend on their militaries?

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic bloc which was formed in 1981. It brings together six Arab states on the Arabian Peninsula:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The GCC was established to promote cooperation on security, economics and politics, and it often coordinates positions on regional and international issues.

In 2023, GCC countries collectively spent $114.5bn on their militaries. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share, budgeting for at least $69bn and ranking as the world’s seventh-largest military spender, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at $20.7bn, Qatar at $9.02bn, Kuwait at $7.77bn, Oman at $6.5bn and Bahrain at $1.4bn, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Military Balance 2024.

Where are the US military bases in the Middle East?

The US has operated military bases in the Middle East for decades.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates a broad network of military sites, both permanent and temporary, across at least 19 locations in the region.

Of these, eight are permanent bases in five of the six GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – as well as in Egypt, Iraq and Jordan.

The strategic partnership between Qatar and the US

Al Udeid Air Base was established in Qatar in 1996 and is the largest US military base in the Middle East. Covering an area of 24 hectares (60 acres), the base accommodates almost 100 aircraft as well as drones. This base, which houses some 10,000 troops, serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM) and has been central to operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Following Israel’s attacks on Doha, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Qatar, arriving the day after he attended meetings in Israel.

During his visit, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, emphasised the country’s strategic relationship with the United States, particularly on defence matters. He added: “We are determined to defend our sovereignty and take measures to prevent any recurrence of such an attack.”

Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

On Wednesday evening, Saudi Arabia signed a “strategic mutual defence agreement” (SMDA) with nuclear-armed Pakistan.

The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an act of aggression against both.

The pact came just days after nearly 60 member states of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) gathered in Doha in a show of regional solidarity with Qatar in the wake of the recent attack.

Which air defence systems do Gulf states rely on?

The six Gulf states have built layered air defence networks combining US, European, Russian and Chinese systems.

Their arsenals range from long-range interceptors to point-defence missiles and anti-aircraft guns.

Long-range systems cover threats beyond 100 km (62 miles), medium-range protect targets 30–100 km (19–62 miles) away and short-range systems defend assets within 1–30 km (0.6–19 miles).

Saudi Arabia possesses the Gulf’s largest air defence network, anchored by US-made THAAD systems and long-range Patriot PAC-3 batteries.

Its layered arsenal also includes medium-range US-made I-Hawk missiles, short-range French Crotale, Shahine and MICA systems, as well as a large number of American and French point-defence launchers such as Stinger, Avenger, Mistral and MPCV. Complementing these are extensive anti-aircraft guns from several countries, including the US-made Vulcan, Swiss/German Oerlikon, and Swedish Bofors L/70 models.

Saudi Arabia is the only GCC country to deploy the Chinese-made Silent Hunter laser system, which tracks and neutralises low-flying drones and other small aerial threats by emitting a high-energy beam that can disable or destroy them.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) operates US-made THAAD and long-range Patriot systems, alongside a version of the Israeli-made Barak air defence system.

For medium-range threats, the UAE relies on the South Korean-made Cheongung II.

Its short-range defences include French Crotale and Mistral, Russian Igla and Pantsir-S1, Swedish RBS-70 and British Rapier systems, all supported by a variety of European anti-aircraft guns.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the only two GCC countries which operate the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) system, giving them advanced missile interception capabilities against ballistic threats.

Qatar has invested in US-made Patriot systems and NASAMS III for long- and medium-range air defence, while its short-range defences feature a mix of Russian Igla, US Stinger, Chinese FN-6 and French Mistral systems, supported by German Gepard and Skynex anti-aircraft guns.

Kuwait fields US-made Patriot PAC-3 batteries for long-range defence, Italian Aspide launchers paired with Skyguard systems for short-range defence and Stinger, Starburst and FIM-92 missiles for point defence, complemented by German Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft guns.

Bahrain has recently acquired the Patriot PAC-3 MSE system, joining Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait as the GCC countries with advanced long-range, surface-to-air missile capabilities.

For medium- to short-range threats, it relies on US I-Hawk and French Crotale systems, supported by Russian Igla, US Stinger and Swedish RBS-70 point-defence missiles, as well as Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns.

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After making comments about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot last week in what right-wingers in the US believe to be a political assassination, Jimmy Kimmel’s live show was pulled off the air by Disney-owned ABC.

However, Kimmel’s removal is alleged to violate his First Amendment rights to free speech, which are guaranteed by the US Constitution.

The removal of Kimmel’s show was the subject of a protest on Thursday that gathered hundreds of Kimmel fans in Burbank, New York, and Hollywood.

What exactly happened and what the US Constitution says about free speech rights are examined more closely.

Jimmy Kimmel’s fate, what happened to him?

Conservative ally Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 while giving a speech at a university in Utah in front of a crowd of about 3, 000 people.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was detained on suspicion of killing Kirk after a 33-hour manhunt. Since then, Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder.

Some right-wing figures associated with Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) wing have referred to Robinson as “left-wing”.

Kimmel stated on his show on Monday that “The MAGA gang is desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and using all means to gain political points from it.”

Kimmel criticized Trump’s response to Kirk’s death, saying that he was “like a son.” An adult grieving the death of a friend does not do this. A four-year-old despises a goldfish in this manner,” Kimmel said.

Broadcasters Nexstar and Sinclair announced that they would discontinue Kimmel’s late-night program after a backlash.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Brendan Carr, added that Kimmel, Disney, and ABC would all face legal action.

In an interview with CNN, Carr’s response was criticized by Anna Gomez, the only Democratic member in the FCC. Gomez claimed that “this administration is increasingly repressing lawful expression.”

The FCC has the authority to grant broadcasters licenses, including ABC and its affiliate stations.

According to Democratic critics, Kimmel’s freedom of speech is violated by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits his show from air.

What is stated in the First Amendment?

Free speech is protected by the First Amendment. There is a provision in the bill that states: “Congress shall make no law repressing the right of the people to assemble peacefully, and petitioning the government for redress of grievances,” prohibiting the free exercise of that right, or denying the right to free speech, the press, or the people’s right to peaceful assembly.

The US Supreme Court ruled in 1963 that the government could not “impose a system of informal censorship” by putting pressure on private companies.

A Rhode Island agency threatened to prosecute book and magazine distributors for selling objectionable publications after the release of this letter.

The Supreme Court ruled last year that plaintiffs must show that the government’s actions directly caused them harm and exceeded the persuasion’s guidelines.

Was Kimmel’s show’s elimination constitutional?

According to experts, Kimmel’s show’s cancellation violates the First Amendment’s free speech guarantee.

Carr’s actions are “a classic case of unconstitutional jawboning,” according to Ronnie London, general counsel for the free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

The FCC says on its website that “the public interest is best served by allowing free expression of views.”

“Communications law and policy seek to encourage responsive “counter-speech” from others rather than suppressing speech.” Even though some viewpoints or expressions may be extremely offensive, following this principle allows for the most diverse and opposing opinions to be expressed.

What was the response to Kimmel’s removal?

The importance of upholding free speech rights has been highlighted by numerous Democrats, politicians, Hollywood figures, and other talk show hosts.

On Friday, former US President Barack Obama posted a number of articles and commentary on X, saying, “This commentary makes a clear, powerful statement about the importance of free speech, whether the speaker is Jimmy Kimmel, Charlie Kirk, or MAGA supporters or MAGA opponents.”

Whether Charlie Kirk or Jimmy Kimmel, MAGA supporters or MAGA opponents, the statement made in this commentary is clear and powerful about why freedom of speech is at the core of democracy and must be protected.

Obama stated in a previous post that “media companies need to start standing up to the First Amendment rather than capitulating to it.” This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was intended to stop.

At a party in New York on Thursday, former late-night host David Letterman said, “We all see where this is going, correct? ” It is managed media. It is not good. It’s absurd. It’s absurd.

The state under Donald Trump has a “horrifying record of enforcing speech, extorting private companies, and removing the full weight of the government’s censorship hammer on First Amendment rights,” according to Ken Martin, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Adam Schiff, a senator from California, wrote on X on Thursday that the administration’s “responsible” actions on the free press have been the most obscene attacks in American history. What will remain of the First Amendment?”

The political right, in contrast, has erupted in celebration of Kimmel’s show’s suspension.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “Great News for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED.”

“Congratulations to ABC for having finally the guts to carry out the required work.” If that’s the case, Kimmel has ZERO talent and worse ratings than Colbert. On Fake News NBC, Jimmy and Seth are now two total losers, Trump continued, referring to late-night show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.