From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: RUSSIA LEAVES THE GULF A WESTERN ARMS MARKET
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 08:15:24 GMT

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** Topic: IPS: MIDDLE EAST: RUSSIA LEAVES THE **
** Written 11:39 pm  Oct  4, 1992 by pnmideast in cdp:mideast.gulf **
From: <pnmideast>
Subject: IPS: MIDDLE EAST: RUSSIA LEAVES THE GULF...

/* Written 12:03 am  Oct  4, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "MIDDLE EAST: RUSSIA LEAVES THE GULF" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Africa, southern
Reference: Disarmament & Peace
Title: MIDDLE EAST: RUSSIA LEAVES THE GULF A WESTERN ARMS MARKET

abu dhabi, oct 1 (ips/christine hauser) -- with russia
suspending the delivery of submarines to iran, a sale the united
states claims could have upset the military balance in the
region, the gulf remains a western arms market.

oil-rich gulf countries jolted by iraq's invasion of kuwait in
1990, have been stockpiling arms from western traders. the
frenzied buying has sparked off a virtual arms race in the region
where no country wants to risk being left behind.

according to rough estimates, some 20 billion dollars worth of
military hardware has been acquired by the region since the end
of the gulf war. the market is monopolised by the united states
and its western allies including britain.

the sale of submarines to iran was russia's first attempt to
develop new markets for its weapons. the former soviet union had
dealt primarily with communist regimes and allies like india.

while a senior russian official said ''difficulties over
payments'' had forced moscow to put off the deal with iran, gulf
watchers here think it was pressure from the gulf which has
pledged six billion in aid to russia that forced moscow's hands.

relations between iran and its arab neighbours have been
severely strained by a dispute over three islands in the gulf.
talks between the united arab emirates (uae) and iran in abu
dhabi ended monday in a deadlock because of differences over the
issue of sovereignty on both sides.

the islands are located in the gulf waterway, the artery for
transporting most of the world's oil. at the centre of the two
days of discussions here was the status of the greater tumbs and
lesser tumbs which were taken by iran from the uae in 1971.

the uae wants iran to return the two islands before any
discussion on abu musa, an island which is located halfway
between the two countries in the gulf that tehran had shared with
the emirates since 1971.

at the end of the talks, the uae issued a statement demanding
that iran end its military occupation of the tumbs, and reaffirm
its commitment to the 1971 agreement to share abu musa.

the uae also wants tehran to seek a settlement on the issue of
abu musa's sovereignty within a specific time frame.

the abu musa controversy erupted after iran expelled in march
a few score foreigners who worked for the uae government from the
island. in august, iran turned back a ferry full of people
returning to abu musa from a summer break on the mainland.
(more/ips)



middle east: russia (2)

the gulf press gave prominent coverage to the plight of the
ferry passengers, many among them women and children, who were
forced to stay out in the open sea for three hours while uae
officials negotiated with their iranian counterparts.

iran cited security concerns for its action on abu musa. it
said that an unnamed dutchman was arrested for carrying a weapon.

the disputed island lies close to the straits of hormuz,
gateway to the gulf where 40 percent of the world's oil resources
are located. the uae is considered the region's biggest trading
post with 12 ports.

officials here accuse iran of annexing abu musa, and the uae
has mustered support on the issue from the 20-member arab league
and the gulf cooperation council (gcc).

under the 1971 agreement brokered by britain before it ended a
long colonial presence in the gulf, iran had the right to open a
garrison on the island while the emirate of sharjah was to be
responsible for the rest of abu musa.

gulf watchers say the dispute could damage the slowly
improving ties between iran and gcc members saudi arabia,
bahrain, kuwait, qatar, oman and the uae. tehran has always been
suspicious of the gulf nations' defence ties with its sworn
rival, the united states.

tehran opposes the increased u.s. military presence in the
region where it keeps a flotilla of some 20 warships and has
defence agreements with three of gcc's six partners.

iran has sought to be a part of the post-war security
arrangement in the gulf, but u.s. agreements with kuwait, bahrain
and qatar rule out any such iranian involvement.

the gcc has been toying with the idea of setting up a 100,000-
strong military force to police the region, a plan that has
washington's backing. western diplomats here say iran's armament
plans may have spurred on the idea of a gcc defence system.

but gulf watchers are sceptical if tehran's rearmament plans
are as massive as has been made out in the western media. the
russian kilo class submarines would have been tehran's first
major acquisitions since the long iran-iraq war. the iranian
military is equipped with non-standardised hardware that tehran
would like to see updated, they point out.  (end/ips/ip/ch/an/92)



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