THE UNITED STATES AND THE GULF ARAB STATES: Interview with Adam Hanieh http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/hanieh180411.html

The GCC really is the core of capitalism in the Middle East. There's also CENTCOM, the forward command headquarters of CENTCOM, located in Qatar. 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. You can see the GCC is a major investor globally.