So that's what they mean by needing Arab help with Iran
The Obama administration keeps insisting that it needs Arab help to stop Iran, and I keep wondering what they're talking about - after all, no one other than Israel is more interested in seeing Iran stopped than 'moderate' Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Unless, those countries have given up all hope of Iran being stopped and are moving into Iran's camp to back the "strong horse."So, at the end of the day, the Obama administration will do nothing to stop Iran and then will blame Israel because the Obami are unable to get Arab cooperation for something Obama has no stomach to do anyway.This conclusion emerges from two incidents reported by Haaretz Arab affairs analyst Zvi Bar’el. First, Iran’s military exercises in the Persian Gulf this week were observed by “a high-level military delegation from Qatar. It was headed by Admiral Abed al-Rahim al-Janahi, who said his country wants to benefit from the Iranian experience, and that he was planning joint exercises for the two armies.”
This is particularly noteworthy given a fact that Bar’el didn’t mention: U.S. forces used Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base for their campaigns in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Indeed, Qatar originally upgraded the base to lure the U.S. military. Now it’s planning joint military exercises with Iran.
Bar’el also quoted an Al-Arabiya interview with Turki al-Faisal, head of the King Faisal Institute of Global Strategic Studies — and also a former head of Saudi Arabian intelligence, a former ambassador to London and Washington, the Saudi foreign minister’s brother, and King Abdullah’s cousin. As such, Bar’el wrote, al-Faisal most likely represents the ruling family’s views.
And what are those views? Hitherto, Riyadh has considered Tehran its chief regional rival. But al-Faisal termed the Gulf states’ ties with Iran “historic ties that are built on interests, blood relationships and proximity.” He also opposed sanctions on Tehran, saying he prefers “dialogue,” and said Israel posed a far greater threat to the region than Iran does.
What could go wrong?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:29 AM
3 Comments:
Hi Carl.
Somehow i keep getting the same feeling when i add up everything that i'm reading lately.
I hope i'm wrong but i keep having the idea that it's not so much about Iran, there was never a real intention on imposing sanctions.
It's all about Israel and that all off them the Obama administration included are going to focus at the U.N. meeting on Israels nuclear capacities.It's not what they say that's important it's what they actually do.
Not only that - the Arabs are not interested in helping Obama moving the "proximity talks" forward. They'll probably slap him across the face this weekend knowing they will face no penalty from the US for saying "no."
And for Abu Bluff, hey, "life's good." He gets no criticism from the Palestinian street and the wider Arab World for refusing to talk to Israel.
NormanF: Not only that - the Arabs are not interested in helping Obama moving the "proximity talks" forward. They'll probably slap him across the face this weekend knowing they will face no penalty from the US for saying "no."
If so, Obama will blame Israel and work on penalties for Israel instead.
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