Prince Khaled tells armed forces to brace for all eventualities

Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation, on Tuesday urged the Kingdom’s armed forces to get ready for all eventualities in the backdrop of developments in the region. “Saudi Arabia is not like other countries. It’s home to the two holy mosques and is abundant with natural resources that ensure world economic security,” he said while talking to the King Saud Brigade in the Eastern Province. Referring to the Iranian threat, Prince Khaled said: “Iran should listen to reason while making statements. What we care about the most is the directives of our leadership to protect the security of our borders and our region.” He defended the Saudi decision to send its forces to Bahrain as part of the Peninsula Shield, which follows the GCC Charter and regulations.  “The Peninsula Shield is under the command of Bahrain’s chief of staff and works for the defense and security of Bahrain.” He downplayed the demands for establishing a base for Peninsula Shield in Bahrain. “We need not exaggerate matters. The situation in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is stable and satisfactory. Our focus should be on protecting the Kingdom’s security.” Asked about the presence of forces other than the Peninsula Shield, Prince Khaled said: The Peninsula Shield represents forces from all the six GCC countries. Asked about possible intrusions through the southern border from Yemen: “I would like to reassure everybody that our borders are now secure and that the armed forces are stationed there and are backed by border guards.” He commended the Saudi armed forces’ combat capabilities. However, he reminded them of the need for more training on how to use the modern weaponry. Earlier, Prince Khaled, accompanied by top commanders, inspected the 17th Abubacker Siddique Brigade, the 24th Tarik bin Ziyad Brigade and the 12th Khaled bin Walid Bridgade. He told them about the decisions taken by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the supreme commander of the armed forces, to promote all military officers, increase their salaries by 15 percent and pay two months’ salary as bonus.