Allied against Islamic State

The GCC is still patching up the cracks in its fairly solid façade caused by Qatar’s reluctance earlier this year to abide by an agreement to sever ties with the radical Muslim Brotherhood organization. The agreement had also called for ending broadcasts by the Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi and curtailing activities by suspected Iranian agents in the GCC.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Doha in March in protest and out of concern for their security. Despite rising tensions, negotiations eventually kicked in and compromises were discussed. In September, Qatar, according to press reports, expelled leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood resident in the country and made other pledges to smooth things over with its GCC partners, thus bringing to a near-close what has proved to be perhaps the worst intra-GCC dispute in the council’s history. The ambassadors, however, have yet to return to their embassies in Qatar.

This resolution, albeit partial, had come just in time to allow the six-member alliance to once again stand united against another threat to the Middle East: the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is also referred to as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The GCC has been joined by Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan – thus earning the nickname GCC+4 – in its stance against the Sunni extremist organization. On September 11, leaders from the 10 countries met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah to state their support and intention to “do their share” for the U.S. coalition fighting ISIS.

The resulting communiqué from this high-level meeting stated that all countries are “to stand united against the threat posed by all terrorism, including the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), to the region and the world.”

During the meeting, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide the U.S. with bases for the training of moderate Syrian rebels, who are fighting against both ISIS on one side and the government of Assad on the other.

After the meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told the press, “There is no limit to what the kingdom can provide.” This has become evident over the following weeks; as well as assisting the coalition, the kingdom has contributed half a billion dollars to UN humanitarian aid agencies in Iraq.

The GCC+4 communiqué also went on to cover other aspects of the struggle against the ISIS, saying steps would be taken “to stop the flow of foreign fighters through neighboring countries, countering financing of ISIS and other violent extremists, repudiating their hateful ideology, ending impunity and bringing perpetrators to justice, contributing to humanitarian relief efforts, assisting with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of communities brutalized by ISIS, supporting states that face the most acute ISIS threat, and, as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a coordinated military campaign against ISIS.”

In late September, Jordan plus four GCC members (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain), helped the Pentagon carry out air strikes against ISIS targets, while Qatar has also carried out several humanitarian flights. Nevertheless, Qatar seems to be sitting on the fence, as it has not fully cut ties with all hard-line Islamists and their supporters, and has been accused of affording them safe haven within its borders.

Time, and the coalition’s efforts, will tell if ISIS can be stamped out. And time, and the yet-to-be-seen extent of the GCC’s influence over its own members, will tell if the alliance will remain united and strong in the future. But what is certain is that the GCC as a whole remains a strategic and friendly ally for the U.S. in this troubled region of the world.