Renting Out Weapons!
With the onset of the Second World War and the German offensive against Britain, the historic U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt perceived that the fall of Britain would pave the way for the Nazi threat to draw closer to America. At the time, the U.S. Congress and public opinion were opposed to entering the war, the country had not yet recovered from the costs of World War I, and Britain lacked the weaponry necessary to prevent Hitler’s invasion, as well as the financial means to procure it. It was then that the genius of Roosevelt and Churchill conceived the idea of leasing American arms to Britain rather than leaving them unused against the common enemy. The enemies’ reaction benefited both Britain and America. It is said that Hitler’s defeat began with the signing of that lease agreement; otherwise, German would now be taught in Britain and America, and gas chambers would be filled with Arab Jews!
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Gulf states, currently the eastern gateway to the Arab homeland, are facing devastating threats emanating from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. If they divert their oil revenues and savings toward purchasing expensive weapons, their public budget deficits will widen, their citizens’ and residents’ welfare will deteriorate, development initiatives will vanish, and tourists and investors will flee. In doing so, we would be fulfilling the enemies’ true objectives of aggression. Therefore, we urge reconsideration of the idea of mutual arms leasing among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, should there be reluctance to confront aggression collectively. The same logic applies to activating the Arab Common Defense Agreement. What is the purpose of Arab and Gulf weapons and aircraft if they remain idle while ongoing transgressions against our Gulf states continue unchecked? Had the “three bulls” possessed deterrent weapons, the white bull would not have been devoured, followed by the rest of the bulls in succession!
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Some have instilled a misguided understanding in public consciousness: that an unjustified strike against Iran does not constitute a declaration of war, whereas our legitimate response to aggression through a similar strike would amount to a declaration of total war! What nonsense and falsehood does this assertion represent? A crippled and devastated Iran, unable even to convince its friendly populace of the legitimacy of its aggression against neighbors—so much so that it cut off internet access to prevent Gulf public opinion from being heard, while Gulf channels are saturated with voices representing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, including Iranians and others—will not dare to declare total war on the Gulf states. It lacks the capacity even to defend itself. Moreover, what pretext would it offer? Would it dare claim that declaring war on us to inflict further destruction on Iran is justified by unproven transgressions against Gulf states? Conversely, the Gulf states, Jordan, and perhaps some Arab, Islamic, and allied countries would suffice with responding to Iranian aggression through similar aerial strikes, without needing to declare total war. Silence in the face of aggression is not wisdom; it is merely an excuse to allow transgressions against us to continue indefinitely. Extinguishing a fire at its inception is far better than waiting for it to spread.
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Final points:
1. Faced with an unprecedented historical challenge confronting all six Gulf states collectively, without defined causes or timelines, we need to draw upon wisdom, intelligence, courage, creativity, innovation, and even Gulf cunning to permanently eliminate the source of danger and establish foundations for deterrence that escalate into catalysts for victory—rather than absorbing strikes without retaliation.
2. Ultimately, there is no wisdom whatsoever in sending clear messages to the lurking wolf—some Kuwaiti politicians did so in 1990—suggesting that we are divided. Nor is it wise to send destructive messages implying: “Strike us whenever and however you wish, for we will never retaliate, because we have been convinced that your continuous aggression over many years, which will likely continue for years to come, does not constitute a declaration of war, whereas our legitimate self-defense through reciprocal action would mean a declaration of total war in the Gulf.” Such rhetoric and stance, devoid of logic and wisdom, cannot originate from the Gulf. Wisdom and rationality!
