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 Oman Size: 212,000 square kilometers. Population: 2.3 million |
Oman's military has been undergoing a vigorous training program in
cooperation with its two major allies -- Britain and the United States. The
sultanate's military completed with Britain what was termed a successful
exercise in October 2001. The Swift Sword-2 exercise was the largest
deployment of foreign troops in the Persian Gulf since the 1991 Gulf war and
improved Oman's ground and air combat capabilities as well as command and
control.For Oman, such training is vital as it is perhaps the most pro-American
state in the Gulf. Oman offers both Britain and the United States the use of
air fields and other facilities. The military has been deploying the British
Challenger II tanks and the navy is deploying its Qahir class corvettes.
Oman sees threats from both Iran and Iraq. But like other Gulf Cooperation
Council members, Oman worries most over Islamic unrest -- particularly after
the Sept. 11, 2001 Islamic suicide attacks in New York and Washington by the
Al Qaida group.
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