In an unprecedented show of support that also tells GCC members to ally themselves with the USA, Bahrain has sent the flagship of its navy, the guided-missile frigate Bans Sabha, to join the U.S. naval task force that is supporting the American forces in Afghanistan. The move has clear implications for the current GCC summit now taking place in Oman.
Bahrain’s move towards active involvement in the American campaign against terror is a far-reaching step, and is very much in tune with the defense policy it espouses. It send a clear message to the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, that Bahrain believes the best form of regional defense is through cooperation and alliance with the United States.
Bahrain is already very close to the United States, and is the homeport for the American Navy’s Fifth Fleet. In October, President Bush named Bahrain a major non-NATO ally. The Bans Sabha herself is a former American Navy warship, formerly the USS JACK WILLIAMS (FFG 24), and was transferred to Bahrain in 1997.
The naval task force includes large aircraft carriers, support ships, and fighting vessels, and the Bans Sabha will guard these ships from attack. With the American attacks against al-Qaeda and Taliban forces winding down, the focus of the task force is switching to relief efforts for Afghanistan’s long-suffering people.
Bahrain Defense Force chief-of-staff General Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said "The Sabha will take part in the international humanitarian efforts and the tasks aimed at strengthening stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan" and added that the vessel would also conduct search, rescue and evacuation operations.
As for the Bans Sabha and her crew, this will be an exciting and demanding assignment. The ship will conduct operations around the clock as an integral part of one of the most powerful forces in the world. The ship's commanding officer, Col. Saqur H. Maawdah, summed up the challenge of his assignment to the LA Times in a straightforward way: "This is not an exercise. This is a real deployment." (www.albawaba.com)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
