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Ahmadinejad: West survives on sowing discord
[Iran Press TV Latest] President Ahmadinejad warns against divisive policies that seek to destabilize the region, as reports circulate that Washington is ramping up its military hardware in the Persian Gulf,. In a Tuesday meeting with Qatar's crown prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Western countries have always played a destabilizing role in the region. "The Westerners cannot bear the thought of security and solidarity among regional countries," said the Iranian president. "They have survived largely by sowing discord and inciting instability in the region." President Ahmadinejad said the relations between regional countries such as Iran and Qatar should be stronger than ever, now that "the enemy seeks to gain political and economic benefits by spreading the fire of war in the region." This comes amid reports that US President Barack Obama has approved the deployment of new warships and anti-missile systems to the Persian Gulf. On Saturday, unidentified US military officials told AP that Washington has taken silent steps to increase the capability of land-based Patriot missiles on the territory of some of its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf region. Arab states have a long history of housing US military bases and combat equipment. Kuwait plays host to US Patriots, while the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters. Qatar is also known to have a modernized US air operations center that has played a central role in the US wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. For his part, Qatar's Crown Prince acknowledged Iran's constructive efforts to promote regional security, saying that his country believes that Tehran is "a strategic power and ally." He said that Iran's contributions to stability in the region should also be acknowledged by Arab states and other countries. Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss matters of mutual interest with Iranian government officials. In talks with Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Tuesday, the Qatari prince said that closer military ties between Tehran and Doha would have many benefits; not only for the two countries, but also for the entire region. Vahidi, for his part, said the security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz hinges on increased military ties between Iran and Qatar. Posted by: Fred 2010-02-03 |
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