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Last update - 14:53 06/05/2009
U.S. Arab allies concerned over Obama's Iran outreach
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, Iran, Haaretz TV 

Washington's efforts to start a dialogue with Iran have sent ripples of alarm through the capitals of America's closest Arab allies, who accuse Tehran of playing a destabilizing role in the Middle East.

The concerns being raised by Arab leaders sound strikingly like those coming from the mouths of Israeli officials.

"We hope that any dialogue between countries will not come at our expense," said a statement Tuesday by the six oil-rich nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council, who have long relied on U.S. protection in the region.
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The Obama administration has been reaching out to Iran in a marked shift after the U.S. shunned contacts for decades. But U.S. allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel, say Tehran is not a positive force in the region with its support for Islamic militant groups such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit conveyed the concerns this week when U.S. envoy Dennis Ross, who is dealing with Iran, visited Cairo.

"Iran's behavior in the region is negative in many aspects and does not help in advancing security, stability and peace," he told Ross.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who was in Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, has sought to reassure the Arab allies that any contacts with Iran would be "open and transparent" and regional allies would be kept informed "so nobody gets surprised."

He said Tuesday that so far, the hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's response to the U.S. outreach has been "not very encouraging."

"We're not willing to pull the hand back yet because we think there's still some opportunity," Gates said. "But I think concerns out there of some kind of a grand bargain developed in secret are completely unrealistic."

He was referring to speculation in the Middle East that the Obama administration is trying to forge a grand Middle East peace settlement with Iran whereby the U.S would press Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians, perhaps a Palestinian state, in exchange for Tehran rolling back its nuclear program.

Israel and the U.S. suspect Iran's program to enrich uranium is aimed at developing nuclear weapons ? a concern shared by the GCC.

"There exists a strategic and military threat (to Gulf countries) and we are against any nuclear program that isn't approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency because we believe that the Iranian nuclear program should not destabilize the region," the organization said in its statement.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son, an increasingly influential figure in the regime, said Tuesday that Egypt and Iran also do not always see eye to eye.

"Both Egypt and Iran are key countries in the region, but we have our differences regarding the future of the region and peace," said Gamal Mubarak. Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, has long seen Iran as a regional rival.

Egypt has become increasingly vocal over its concerns about Iran, especially following its discovery in April of what it described as a "Hezbollah cell" plotting to destabilize the country. The Iranian-backed Lebanese group has denied the accusations, while admitting it did have an operative in Egypt supervising weapons shipments to the Palestinian Hamas group.

In a rare confluence of interests with its Arab neighbors, Israel has also singled out Iran as the greatest threat to stability in the region.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with President Barack Obama later this month and is expected to push for a tough U.S. stance on Iran. Israel argues that progress in peace with the Palestinians can't happen unless Iran is reined in.

The London-based Palestinian daily, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, even said the Arab moderate governments are actively working on building an alliance with Israel to counter Iranian influence in the region.

The Wednesday report, citing Palestinian officials, said Egyptian and Jordanian diplomats were working to amend the 2002 Arab peace initiative to make it more acceptable to Israel. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Iran, meanwhile, has not substantially changed its rhetoric over the issues of Middle East peace and its backing of Israel's enemies.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Syrian leaders Tuesday and reiterated support for "Palestinian resistance."

He also met with the chiefs of Hamas and other Damascus-based Palestinian radical groups during his visit to Syria. Iran is a strong supporter of Islamic militants in the region, including Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

"Syria and Iran have been from the very beginning united and in agreement to stand on the side of the Palestinian resistance," Ahmadinejad said. "They will continue to do so. We see that the resistance will continue until all occupied territories are liberated."

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      1.   Arab allies are not thinking straight 15:45  |  Natallie Durson 06/05/09
      2.   Right, Natalie, but there`s much more. 16:09  |  Ivar 06/05/09
      3.   iran as bargaining chip against israel 16:10  |  Jordan Vinson 06/05/09
      4.   so nobody gets surprised." 17:30  |  Joshua 06/05/09
      5.   IRANIAN CROSSHAIRS 17:41  |  steve 06/05/09
      6.   consesions? 18:01  |  greg 06/05/09
      7.   # 2 Ivar....post WWII and peace 22:09  |  Lynn 06/05/09
      8.   # 1 Durson...yes they are 22:14  |  Lynn 06/05/09
      9.   Oh oh !!! 01:43  |  Fortuna Benmayor 07/05/09
      10.   Obama`s appeasment won`t work 04:22  |  Arik 07/05/09
      11.   Ivar and Natalie... Egypts Weapon Grade Uranium...... 05:54  |  Soul Brother 07/05/09
      12.   Mr.Gates....a soothsayer, without a plan. 09:55  |  Stephen. 07/05/09
      13.   Greg, I am dissapointed... 10:06  |  JohnnyBoy 07/05/09
      14.   As the U.S. Retreats, Iran Fills the Void Wall Street Journal, 10:38  |  PETER SM 07/05/09
      15.   This is the moment 10:56  |  Tomy 07/05/09
      16.   IRANIAN CROSSHAIRS?? @5 steve..I have said this hundreds of times 14:50  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      17.   There will be no Saudi peace plan. 14:54  |  petra 07/05/09
      18.   The WEB of Iran Is Spreading While the World Sleeps. 14:59  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      19.   Now even Arabs sense that there are idiots in the Whitehouse 16:42  |  karl 07/05/09
      20.   Karl and Tomy 23:10  |  arik 07/05/09
      21.   Iran 04:46  |  J.K. 08/05/09
      22.   The root of the Arab´s fears... 22:36  |  Lasmarch 08/05/09
      23.   Good point: Natalie and Ivar 1,2 11:20  |  Non-Arab Saudi 09/05/09
      24.   Another Myth. 13:46  |  Cool B 09/05/09
      25.   USA retreat 16:18  |  Efroim 09/05/09
      26.   Transfearing persian people&invite Jewish one 16:53  |  Zaina Kayed Shehab 17/05/09
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