The dispute between the Arab Gulf states and the maker of the BlackBerry phone for access to encrypted communications highlights the nervousness about the potential threats to security in the region, from Iran to Al Qaeda.The messaging application of the device, manufactured by Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM), expanded rapidly in the Gulf area, where he became a popular tool for business and social networks.
But because the data is encrypted and sent to servers abroad, can not be tracked locally.
In countries like United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, the development has raised fears that the lack of access to harm their ability to identify potential spies, murderers and Islamic militants, analysts argued.
"They feel they are under threat," said Shadi Hamid, director of research of the Brookings Doha Center, citing a growing concern, especially in the UAE, to become immersed in a possible conflict with Iran. "UAE is on the front line," he said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the most conservative countries in the region are concerned that the implementation of BlackBerry messaging can be used to harm the interests of national security, but have not yet made public this suspicion.
As the tension grows in the Gulf region, both countries have threatened to ban phone services. However, Riad seems to have resolved its dispute with RIM earlier this month.
Gulf Arab states share its Western allies suspect that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology. Neither Washington nor Israel has ruled out military action if diplomacy and sanctions fail.This also endangers the Arab oil-exporting countries, which house a number of Western military complex and certainly would be involved in an armed conflict with Iran."We are in the fourth round of sanctions against Iran and there are many rumors about what will happen with Iran regarding its nuclear program," said Theodore Karasik, the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis in Dubai.
"These countries are seeking to shield themselves from a potential fifth column, so they have to control everything to decipher whether there is a real threat," he added.
BlackBerry fight between Arabs
In Saudi Arabia, RIM could avoid action against the courier to deliver sought after accepting "codes" to users of telephones, said an industry source familiar with the case.But speculation continues in the UAE with a possible restriction after the Government threatened to suspend the application, email and the form of BlackBerry from October 11 for safety.
However, the concern of the Gulf countries goes beyond Iran and includes the fear of a possible revival of the regional wing of Al Qaeda or the appearance of Israeli espionage cases, internal dissension or perceived immoral behavior.
The BlackBerry device is popular with young singles in Saudi Arabia, which form the main phone market in the Gulf with 700,000 users. With the device can organize meetings in a society that restricts contact between men and women who are not related.Activists in the region also said the encrypted text messages helped forge a more open dialogue, even with criticism of the government and its policies.
India sees solution in the next week
Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, could provide a solution next week to Indian security agencies to access corporate mail through obtaining the encrypted data in a readable format, said a government source on Friday.
Research In Motion (RIM) faces a deadline of August 31 given by the Indian authorities to be given the means to track and read email BlackBerry Enterprise Service and BlackBerry Messenger.
The Government, concerned about the potential use the fundamentalists can make sure Blackberry network to carry out attacks, has pledged to close services if RIM does not comply, which deviate from the markets one of the fastest growing telecommunications in the world.
A technical team from RIM in New Delhi has been working with the department of telecommunications and security agencies to find a solution.
"We hope to provide a solution for e-Enterprise next week," said the source, who declined to give his name because the discussions with the Government RIM are not public.
India said this week that would enable the courier service that continues after the deadline as access to services has been secured, but could close the e-mail service without having access to it then.
India is one of several countries that are pressuring RIM, which has based its reputation of the Blackberry-famous among executives and politicians, on confidentiality.
Government officials have said that RIM has secured access to the service manual of the Blackberry IM for 1 September and automated access by year's end.
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