Desert Storm II: is a new Persian Gulf War on the horizon?

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 1994 by David Isenberg

In fact, less than two weeks after Bush announced his initiative, Congress was notified of a $682,000,000 proposed sale of Apache attack helicopters to the United Arab Emirates. Between the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, and Sept. 25, 1992, the Bush Administration announced a total of $32,300,000,000 in new arms transfers to eight Middle Eastern countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, more than $25,000,000,000 to go to Saudi Arabia alone. All but two--Morocco and Israel--are within CENTCOM's area of responsibility. About $19,300,000,000 was announced since Bush proposed his initiative.

Access agreements. The oil fires were not even out in Kuwait when Defense Secretary Dick Cheney arrived in Saudi Arabia seeking permission to store military equipment there. On Sept. 5, 1991, the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. and Kuwait had reached agreement on the outlines of a 10-year security pact. As the details still remain undisclosed, it is unclear whether the agreement is more than symbolic, but it reportedly provides for stockpiling of equipment, tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles for up to two mechanized brigades. Under the pact, the U.S. sends a battalion task force to Kuwait three times a year to train with a similar-sized Kuwaiti force.

On Oct. 27, 1991, the U.S. and Bahrain signed a defense cooperation agreement regarding the pre-positioning of material and an increase in joint military exercises. In June, 1992, an agreement was signed with Qatar, providing for the stationing of naval stores and periodic combined military exercises. CENTCOM also is in the process of concluding a defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates and is continuing discussions on the subject with Saudi Arabia.

Rapid deployment

The Army is making preparation to be able to deploy its heavy armor to the Persian Gulf in the event of conflict far more rapidly than it did during Desert Shield. The Army plans to dispatch a permanent floating force of tanks and armored personnel carriers to the Indian Ocean that could arrive in Saudi Arabia within two weeks after an order to deploy. When there is no crisis, the floating armor depot would be moored at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Although the exact configuration of the equipment has not been finalized yet, it likely would equip two tank battalions and two mechanized infantry battalions. Although the number can vary, depending on the configuration of the deployed unit, there are approximately 58 tanks in the former and 54 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in the latter. According to the Pentagon, planned sealift acquisitions will give it the capability--almost immediately upon request--to ship two Army armor divisions to any point in the world within 30 to 45 days.

The Navy is expanding the capacity and capability of the port in Haifa, Israel, to accommodate ships up to the size of Aegis cruisers for repair and refitting. In the future, Haifa even might be able to take aircraft carriers. This is being done because of its proximity to Persian Gulf states. In the new era, traditional ports in France, Greece, and Italy used by the Mediterranean Sixth Fleet are not close enough.