Iran's top national security official urged his Arab neighbors Tuesday to eject the U.S. military from American bases in the region and instead join Tehran in a regional security alliance.Ali Larijani told Arab leaders attending a conference in Dubai that Washington is indifferent to their interests and will cast them aside as soon as they are no longer useful.
"The security and stability of the region needs to be attained and we should do it inside the region, not through bringing in foreign forces," Larijani told an audience of business and political leaders from the Arab world and elsewhere, including the United States. "We should stand on our own feet."
Larijani assured Arab leaders listening to his speech that Iran seeks "peaceful coexistence" and that could replace the security umbrella of U.S. bases now present in the region, including in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Other countries have strong military training and U.S. security guarantee deals.
"Iran is in pursuit of regional stability through integration," he said. "It stands by all the Muslim governments in the region."
The Persians are feelin' their oats, are they not?
But many Arab leaders have expressed misgivings about a resurgent Iran, including its support for Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq and for Hizbullah in Lebanon.
They also worry about Iran's nuclear program, which they fear is aimed at producing weapons despite Iranian denials.And threats.
Some Sunni Arab countries like Saudi Arabia are traditional strong rivals of Shiite Iran. But analysts in smaller countries like Kuwait, a strong U.S. ally, have said in recent months that they are walking a fine line between not antagonizing Iran while also not antagonizing the United States.
The United States also has been worried privately about Iran's possible growing influence in the region, although many believe it is highly unlikely any Arab countries would cut security ties with the United States.Unless we cut and
Some small Gulf countries did, however, decline to participate in recent U.S.-led anti-proliferation maneuvers in the Gulf, apparently for fear of antagonizing Iran.
Larijani expressed annoyance at Arab fears about Iranian intentions, saying Shiite Iran and its Sunni Muslim-dominated neighbors had more in common with each other than with the United States or Israel.
"Some countries consider Iran a threat to the region, forgetting about Israel," Larijani said.
That's not exactly a denial of hostile intentions, is it?
Larijani acknowledged that any U.S. departure from the Gulf would come about gradually, but he contended a consensus was building, even among America's Arab allies.
"We don't accept the relationship between the U.S. and the countries of the region," Larijani said. "If you talk to Arab leaders here, you can sense that they aren't happy with the current situation. They feel the Americans are bullies. They don't want the U.S. ambassador ordering them around."
Yeah, US bullies - wouldn't you be happier under the yoke of our ayatollahs,
Larijani also told his audience that he believes Washington is caught in a "strategic stalemate" in the Middle East. U.S. policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and among the Israelis and Palestinians are failing, he said, and pressure on Iran and Syria has not weakened either regime.
Washington needs a major change in policy -- starting with a withdrawal from Iraq -- to improve its standing, and setting a date for departing Iraq is a first step, Larijani said.
"Should there be a timetable, that would serve as a positive sign," Larijani said. "The clearest sign would be an exit or evacuation of American forces from the region."
Thank goodness there isn't a US political party doing the bidding of the ayatollahs.
Iran's nuclear developments should be seen in the same light, Larijani said.
He repeated other Iranian leaders' words that a sanctions resolution being put together by the U.N. Security Council would fail to halt Tehran's contentious nuclear developments.
And he argued that Iran's foreign policy would be subject to coercion if it agrees to give up enrichment -- as the West has demanded -- and instead seeks fuel from outsiders, he said.
"We are not after a nuclear bomb," Larijani said. "Fossil fuels are coming to an end. After that we need nuclear power plants. Nuclear plants need fuel. Historical experience shows that this fuel will not be given to us."
"given". There are a few countries that would be more than happy to provide reactor-grade fuel for cash/oil. Nice work, Ali.
In addition, he warned his Arab neighbors, if Iran agreed to depend on outside nuclear fuel suppliers, that move would be used as precedent for blocking similar nuclear enrichment bids by other Muslim countries.
Larijani said Western nuclear negotiators had made this point to him, telling him that Iran could not be allowed to enrich uranium because the same right would have to be afforded Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others.
"They will allow you to have a power plant but they will keep the fuel," Larijani told his Arab neighbors. "There will be an atomic OPEC."(AP)
Beirut, 05 Dec 06, 12:03