The Gulf Cooperation Council: Moderation and Stability in an Interdependent World

The purpose of this book, which is substantially achieved, is to set forth the basic facts on the Gulf Cooperation Council and its significance for its constituent states and their relations with the outside world. Even with obvious gaps it is the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject. Although not overlooking weaknesses affecting both the organization and its individual members, the general tone is benevolent and laudatory, presumably with the idea of encouraging favorable American views and policies (witness the "moderation" and "stability" in the subtitle). But the conclusion by Ralph Braibanti, author of the final chapter, that the true significance of the GCC lies in its potential as a building block in the construction of a global Islamic political society, strains credence.