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Bahrain National Guard and Pakistan Army agree to joint-exercise
Bahrain’s state-owned news agency, Bahrain News Agency (BNA), reports that the Bahrain National Guard and the Pakistan Army signed a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) on December 14 to undertake the joint counter-terrorism (CT) exercise – designated Bader2 – in Bahrain.
BNA states that Bader2 will be held in Bahrain following the completion of Bader1 in Pakistan, an exercise that had “included practical military drills and skills aimed to boost the efficiency of the participating military officers and personnel and to achieve highest level of coordination in the fight against terrorism.”
The Commander of the Special Operations Unit in the National Guard, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammad bin Isa al-Khalifa, called for increased bilateral ties with Pakistan, especially in training and sharing expertise.
Notes & Comments:
The centerpiece of Pakistan’s CT and counterinsurgency (COIN) training strategy is the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which was established in 2014 to provide CT and COIN training to Pakistan Army and Pakistani law-enforcement agencies to support the country’s CT/COIN campaign.
The NCTC familiarizes infantry with combat using small teams and engaging in built-up environments. The NCTC has since hosted bilateral exercises between Pakistan and Bahrain, China, Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia and others. It also helped train a Nigerian Army Special Forces battalion in 2017.
Specialized CT/COIN centres are also being raised by the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Navy through the Airpower Centre of Excellence (ACE) and Maritime Counter Terrorism Centre (MCTC), respectively.
The Pakistan Navy and Royal Bahrain Navy had conducted a bilateral naval exercise in 2015. Designated “Shaheen al-Jazeera”, the exercise had involved naval special operations forces (SOF) operators from both countries. Shaheen al-Jazeera was started in 1997 and had been a regularly held exercise.
Pakistan also has commercial interests in Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council market. In October, the private Pakistani company Cavalier Group showcased its Hamza Multirole Combat Vehicle, a 6×6 (and previously, 8×8) wheeled armoured fighting vehicle at the 2017 Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference. For Pakistan, Bahrain could be a prospective customer of armoured vehicles, small arms, ammunition and other defence solutions and services.
13 Comments
by Steve
It’s good that Pakistan is balancing between Iran and the Gulf states rather well. We run Bahrain’s domestic security as far as I know.
by Mano Ji
if Bahrain do not want ISIS to be there in their country, they should immediately ask US to get out.
by TheSchwantzPhenom
Forget Bahrain. Pakistani citizens should be concerned about their own country first. Uncle Sam is conducting drone strikes with impunity, killing scores of Pakistani muslims while the “powerful” Pakistani generals continue to watch helplessly. Your foreign minister Khawaja Asif emphatically claimed “we dont need US anymore” and “we have other friends like China and Russia” for local public consumption but 2 weeks later he lands in washington and tells the journalists “i am here to mend fences” and “we value our relationship with the trump administration”. Hilarious isn’t it?
You see, if a country like Pakistan with the 7th largest military in the world and in possession of nuclear weapons cannot say NO to the mighty US of A, then how on earth a much smaller, weaker and economically dependent country like Bahrain can? Even the most powerful country of the arab world-Saudi Arabia couldn’t do nothing in preventing Jerusalem from being declared the capital of Israel. No matter how much hatred you or others have towards USA, one thing which you need to realise is that the US had and will continue to exert significance influence on the arab world for the foreseeable future.
by TZK
Was it not the ‘Arabs’ who invited them in during the first gulf war in 1990-91 when they came to liberate Kuwait from Iraq and OBL in 2001 ‘invited’ them to Afghanistan.
by Salman
This is not directed at Steve but generally
Pakistanis do not run anything. Pakistani role has always been of an expendable gun for hire. Most pk recruits have been in the riot police and front end where the donkeys dirty work is done.
Similiarly it is myth or fantasy when many pakistanis say that most of UAE airforce pilots are pakistanis. Aside from a few instructors the fighter pilots of the UAE airforce are all uae nationals and they do a very good job.
by Headstrong
I’ve always wondered about that. I always hear this, but in my travels across the Mid East, I’ve not come across too many Pakistani military personnel. US, UK, Indian too – but Pakistanis? Maybe at the lower end, if any
by Steve
We had a much higher profile in the 80’s and 90’s when we had a large number of military personnel stationed in Saudi and the Gulf. Not so recently as the role has been taken over directly by America after Gulf war I. Bahrain riots were put down by Pakistani police and there was some senior direction as well, hence my comment. An informative article for people who do not know, some BS about Baluch included by al-Jazeera:
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.aljazeera.com/amp/indepth/features/2011/07/2011725145048574888.html
by Steve
They did invite them in and USA never left. There are bases now some open and some secret all over the Middle East.
by Headstrong
Interesting article. Confirms what was said earlier – that the main role was in the riot police and,of course,army cooks.
But crushing Shias comes naturally to the Fauji Foundation (‘one of the largest conglomerates in the country with close ties to the Pakistani military’) and the likes, I guess… Hence the article makes it a point of mentioning them in fulfilling the recruitment role.
“So they rely on foreign recruits to unquestioningly carry out orders of violently suppressing protests.”
“The most prominent cases of such partnership was in 1970, when then Brigadier Zia ul Haq helped the Jordanian forces suppress Palestinians in what became known as “Black September”.
“Baluch nationalist fighters expressed their dismay at the recruitment long before the recent escalation”
“What I wonder is how the Pakistani government allows this many people to be brought here and used as mercenaries,” said Rajab.
“We know that many of these recruits are poor, uneducated, and are just looking for a job. They don’t know what they are signing up for. But the Pakistan government certainly knows, so why are they allowing this?”
The article also brings out how the Arabs have nothing but contempt for you people.
Very illuminating article indeed 😉
by Steve
You are reading more into this than there is headstrong. Pakistan is and will be embedded in the security infrastructure of the Middle East whether Indians like it or not. Laughable that you of all people are pretending to occupy the moral high ground at any level. As far as your other false assertion goes, go to Dubai, Qatar, or any Middle East country and see how Indians are treated. They live in ‘camps’ and toil in 50 degree heat on building sites for 12 hours a day, and sleep 15 to a room on cramped mattresses. They are paid pittance, often die of heat stroke, and the Indian government does not give a c**p. Who is treated with contempt we are well aware. Those grapes are sour indeed.
by PewPew
I can only speak for Qatar, but retired/ex-Pakistani military personnel in the Qatari Armed Forces as consultants, advisers, trainers, etc is a regular sight. No active serving officers though, the deputation days are gone.
by Headstrong
As I always say,’Steve’, don’t start something you can’t finish…
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1215631/workforce-middle-east-facing-worst-despite-giving-best/
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-pakistani-dreams-turn-nightmares-workers-are-left-penniless-1170396118
‘With temperatures soaring above 40C, the situation is swiftly becoming more than financial; Khan warned that it is developing into a serious humanitarian crisis.
He said water and electricity to the workers’ camp was cut for months, but that Saudi authorities recently reconnected power, providing much needed relief in the summer heat’
“Relatives of those working abroad tell me tales of horror and pain the workers have been facing at the hands of kafeels, supervisors,” she said, adding that there are many whose whereabouts are unknown.
“The mistreatment and exploitation starts right from the airport and I know many of the workers who are still in jails of Saudi Arabia despite completing their terms and nobody knows why they are still there,” lamented Sayed.
Those glasshouses, those stones …. 😉
by TZK
Asian workers are generally mistreated in ME and it is up to the individual nations to raise issues at Govt level. Safety nets do not exist and there are no local organisations that are able to help. Politics also plays a part and currently Pak may not be flavour of the month in the gulf. India being more powerful should be able to exert diplomatic pressure but does not do so or is ignored. To the average Arab all the people of south Asia are the same irrespective of where they come from. I think KSA recently asked Pak for personnel to help with war in Yemen but Pak declined. I am surprised they did not approach Egypt as they have been equipped by Saudis for this purpose.