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Talks with Iran will not hurt Arab allies: Gates
[Al Arabiya Latest] United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday said Arab allies had no cause for concern over a possible U.S.-Iran rapprochement and promised Washington would be "tough-minded" with Tehran if its overtures were rebuffed.Gates, who visits Egypt and Saudi Arabia this week, said U.S. allies had no cause for concern and promised Washington would be "tough-minded" with Tehran if its overtures were rebuffed. The possible shift in U.S. policy toward Iran has stirred unease among Gulf allies of the United States, who fear they could lose out if Washington builds a better relationship with Tehran. There were "some exaggerated concerns, some notion here in the region that there might be some grand bargain between the United States and Iran that would suddenly be sprung on them," he told reporters in Cairo. Such concerns were "completely unrealistic," Gates said before arriving in Riyadh to meet Saudi leaders. "One important message will be, particularly for the Saudis, that any kind of outreach to Iran will not be at the expense of our long-term relationships with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states that have been our partners and friends for decades," he said. "We will deal with this in a sensible way and in a way that hopefully increases the security of everybody in the region, not just us," Gates told reporters. He promised that Washington would consult closely with its allies and that no deal would be hatched in secret. "We will keep our friends informed about what is going so that nobody gets surprised," he said. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-06 |
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