GULF LEADERS MEET TO DISCUSS KEY ISSUES

The leaders of six Gulf Arab nations on December 6 came together for talks expected to span from Qatar’s surprise selection to host the 2022 World Cup to the region’s deep concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme. The two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi is the first gathering of Gulf leaders since US diplomatic memos released by WikiLeaks revealed the urgency of their fears about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The leaked memos give a sense of drama that is normally absent from the annual summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, a six-nation bloc that typically focuses on economic issues and prefers behind-the-scenes dealings to address disputes in their own backyard.