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Gates warns of Iran threat to US and Mideast
Manama (AFP) Dec 8, 2007 US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday said Iran's foreign policy was a threat to the United States, the Middle East and all countries within range of missiles Tehran is developing. "There can be little doubt that their destabilising foreign policies are a threat to the interests of the United States, to the interests of every country in the Middle East, and to the interests of all countries within the range of the ballistic missiles Iran is developing," Gates told a conference on regional security in Bahrain. Iran is also "funding and training" militias in Iraq, supporting "terrorist organisations" such as Hezbollah and Hamas and developing "medium-range ballistic missiles that are not particularly cost-effective unless equipped with warheads carrying weapons of mass destruction," Gates added. His accusations came five days after the publication of the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which said that Iran halted a secret nuclear weapons programme four years ago -- a conclusion at odds with Washington's stance of recent years. Suspicions about Iran's controversial nuclear activities have been a key driver of the tough US approach towards Iran and its pursuit of sanctions against the Islamic republic. "The United States and the international community must continue -- and intensify -- our economic, financial and diplomatic pressures in Iran," Gates said, adding the US was seeking to forge more ways of applying pressure on Tehran. In a wide-ranging speech Gates also urged delegates to the conference to support efforts to stabilise war-torn Iraq. "I urge you to exercise your influence with the Iraqis and encourage them to meet their own goals and expectations," he said. "I also urge you to help them in every way that you can by dampening home-grown insurgencies, by alleviating sectarian strife and by providing economic and diplomatic support," he added, warning that fallout from failure in Iraq would be felt first in the capitals of the Middle East. The event in the Gulf archipelago -- home to the US Fifth Fleet -- brings together more than 200 ministers, security officials and anti-terrorism experts from around 50 countries. Related Links Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century
Sadr's strategy makes for more peace in Iraq
Washington (UPI) Dec 3, 2007 One reason parts of Iraq have quieted down, at least for a while, has received widespread attention: the Sunni split from al-Qaida. AI-Qaida's own tactics alienated its base, which is usually a fatal political mistake, and for once we were wise enough not to get in the way of an enemy who was making a blunder. |
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