'Israel seeks to weaken Arab nations' http://www.rebelnews.org/politics/middle-east/804567-israel-seeks-to-weaken-arab-nations

Israel and the Unites States seek to undermine the Arab nations to achieve their objectives in the occupied Palestinian territories, says an analyst. Press TV interviewed Dr. Hesham Tillawi, the host of Current Issues TV and Radio, regarding the current situation in the Middle East, with an eye on Yemen where anti-government protesters have been demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

'Saudis fear losing seized Yemeni land' http://www.presstv.ir/detail/176967.html

A Yemeni opposition group says the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) is plotting to defeat the popular revolt in the country against the despotic rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Secretary General of Yemen Democratic Party Saif al-Washli told the al-Alam news network on Tuesday that leaders of [P]GCC are against Yemen's membership in the council. This is because they fear that if Yemen joins the council, it may demand the return of three of its provinces under the occupation of Saudi Arabia, al-Washli explained.

Al-Washli stressed that Saudi Arabia's recent interventions in Bahrain, Egypt, Syria and Iraq also show that the Kingdom is bent on suppressing popular revolutions in the Mideast by following pro-Israeli agendas. The latest comments come two days after the [P]GCC granted President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity from prosecution in exchange for his stepping down and handing power over to his Vice President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. According to the plan, the opposition will be allowed to form an interim national unity government after the president signs the deal. Reports say both Saleh and Yemen's opposition have accepted the plan. However, the opposition groups believe Saleh's verbal acceptance of the plan is merely another ploy.

[also see..The United States and the Gulf Arab States: Interview with Adam Hanieh http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/hanieh180411.html

It's very important to situate the US policy, US foreign policy, across the whole of the Middle East in relation to the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]. Unfortunately, this is something I think that's largely been lacking in terms of speaking about the Middle East as a whole; particularly in the uprisings that we've seen in Egypt and Tunisia, it cannot be understood, I think, without placing it within the context of US policy towards the GCC as a whole.

The GCC really is the core of capitalism in the Middle East. It's the primary place where accumulation occurs. It's also the linkage with the broader world market. And US foreign policy -- not just the United States; Europe as well and other states -- really see their relationship with the broader Middle East through the lens of the GCC. Now, obviously, this has got to do with the vast amounts of oil present in the region. But it's also got to do with the financial weight that the GCC has