Saudi Arabia and its neighbors are building forces capable of missions that transcend combat
An influx of 3 million visitors to one city over the course of a few weeks is difficult to imagine, but Saudi Arabia rises to the challenge each year during the hajj — the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. The military, government and private sector must work together fluidly to ensure the guests of the Merciful, as they are known among Muslims, are safe and accommodated. The pilgrims require food, lodging, transportation – the list goes on and on. Military and police must maintain a secure environment not only in the holy city during the hajj, but also at the 11 border crossings and three airports through which millions of pilgrims pass.
The issue of safety and security begins with the visa process; carefully reviewing applications to deny access to potential troublemakers requires numerous government agencies to share information – both domestically and internationally. The interagency cooperation doesn’t stop there and information sharing is critical to ensure success.
In addition to knowing who is coming into the country, where to direct people, keeping them safe, and securing various sites, Saudi military and law enforcement have to plan for and act quickly if things go awry.
“Serving pilgrims is a big responsibility,” His Highness Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said in October 2014 while reading a message to the armed forces from then-King His Highness the late Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. “… You have represented Saudi Arabia in the best manner in front of millions of pilgrims who have come from different parts of the world.”
In the modern history of the hajj, Saudi forces have thwarted riots and terror attacks aimed at spoiling the pilgrimage for the faithful.
The Saudis’ skill at ensuring the smooth running of the highpoint on the Islamic religious calendar is just one example of why militaries need a breadth of experience that transcends traditional warfighting functions.
It’s no secret that violent extremists seek out popular support by claiming to provide superior governance in remote regions of the globe. These adversaries attempt to create shadow governments to deceive the populations they aim to victimize. Sometimes these fanatics make their appeals not through ideology but by seducing civilians with rudimentary health care or disbursements of cash. In isolated instances, extremists use bribery of governmental officials to accomplish their ends.
Military leaders must overcome these obstacles and more in their quest to support good governance. Coordination across military, security and government agencies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the security environment and conduct long-term planning are simultaneous opportunities and challenges. Barriers include corrupt officials, lack of interagency coordination, lack of coordination and information sharing with other countries and criminals and terrorists who undermine stability and damage public trust.
In the face of such threats, militaries must uphold reputations for competence and trustworthiness. Anti-corruption campaigns, promotion of government transparency, military-civilian cooperation and anti-terror legislation are all important blocks in building a professional force.
Honoring the hajj
In the experience of Saudi Arabia, ensuring safety during the hajj has illustrated the impressive professionalism of its forces.
Called the “shields of the nation,” by Maj. Gen. Othman Al-Mihrij, director of the Interior Ministry’s public security department, the security forces are an essential part of the events.
The military provides security along pilgrims’ routes and at points of entry. Many of these entry points — including the four land crossings along the Yemeni border — are largely desolate. Soldiers stationed at King Fahd Air Base use rotary wing aircraft to provide security forces with aerial reconnaissance of pilgrims’ movements and routes and provide feeds to traffic police to reduce bottlenecks.
In 2014 about 70,000 military and security personnel assisted in protecting the public during the hajj.
“We have confronted al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia and we have defeated them,” Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, said during the 2014 pilgrimage. “But of course at the same time, we are still considering the threat, which is a continuous threat, and therefore we have actually enforced our security readiness at all the borders of Saudi Arabia.”
Military and security teams use thousands of security cameras to help monitor crowds – facial recognition software is an additional tool used to identify known criminals and terrorists. During the events, Army medical teams are on high alert to help evacuate the injured in case of a natural or man-made catastrophe. Navy divers also work alongside the civil defense to provide rubber boats and conduct search and rescue efforts in case of floods. That’s because Mecca is nestled in a valley prone to flooding during heavy seasonal rains.
Saudi Soldiers help set up campgrounds for pilgrims outside the holy city and deliver care packages to the residents. The transportation and logistical support provided by these military men help promote a pleasant stay for millions of religious visitors.
Interagency coordination is also at play during the hajj. Sharing information helps Saudi forces stay ahead of extremists and criminals. Government authorities are aware that the religious season also brings out less devout elements. The inevitable rise in smuggling and human trafficking presents extra problems for authorities.
First, undocumented travelers are considered a security threat to legal pilgrims who have undergone background checks. Similarly, these undocumented arrivals usually have not been screened for vaccines or illnesses. Last of all, these people place a greater burden on public services intended for the pilgrims. Therefore, the military and police work together to prevent smuggling to and from the area.
As the country completes another successful pilgrimage season, the professionalism displayed by Saudi forces helps builds trust in an institution critical not just for national security but regional well-being.
Training and education
Military leaders have adopted two main approaches to professionalize their armed forces to fulfill these more broadly defined missions: Multinational exercises and service academies are increasingly used to disseminate best practices and modern military doctrine.
The Qatari Armed Forces enlisted King’s College London to help establish the Joaan Bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College in Doha in 2013. Designed for midcareer officers from all branches of the military, the college provides postgraduate curriculum that has worked successfully in the United Kingdom.
To develop military talent, the Saudis offer five war colleges for preparation and training of air force, navy and ground troops. Studies don’t focus entirely on warfighting: War colleges have branched into specialties such as engineering, medicine and psychology. Peacekeeping and civil defense missions often require familiarity with these subjects.
Jordan’s annual Eager Lion exercise is the region’s largest multinational training event— it brought together more than 20 nations in June 2014. It’s been a good way for participants to advance beyond the classroom and absorb real-world experiences of troops recently returned from missions abroad.
Naval exercises involving countermining measures, anti-piracy demonstrations and submarine detection have become staples of the Arabian Gulf states.
“If we have to operate together in the future, we need to have a working relationship beforehand,” Jordanian Col. Mazin Al-Farrayeh, head of planning and operations for the Combined Joint Task Force at Eager Lion, told Unipath.
Sources: Reuters, The National, Arab News
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