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Bahrain: New military deal with US not anti-Iran

Bahrain’s foreign minister admits that Manama has allowed the US to set up a weapons systems on its soil, but urged Iran not to interpret the measure as a threat against it.

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa made the comments in a Wednesday press conference with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington.

“The United States commitment to its allies and its partners is evident. Nobody is saber rattling here. Nobody is being belligerent to anyone in the region,” Sheikh Khalid told the reporters.

The Claim by Sheikh Khalid comes despite Clinton’s provocative rhetoric against Iran during the same press briefing. “The United States,” said Clinton, “has expanded … its missile defense systems in and around the [Persian] Gulf to counter Iran’s growing missile threat.”

“Certainly, we have to be cognizant of the changing atmosphere in the [Persian] Gulf and the actions that Iran has taken, and its refusal to abide by the obligations of the Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). So we will work with our allies and our friends, and we will continue to send a strong message to Iran that they have an opportunity to truly act in a way that builds confidence and not raise concerns within the region,” she added.

In face of such remarks by Clinton, the Bahraini official added, “It’s just a purely defensive measure for the benefit of the world, for the region being so important to the whole world.”

Bahrain’s top diplomat acknowledged that the US was setting up new upgraded weapons systems in the region. However, he vowed that Iran’s national security would not be threatened.

In another part of her remarks, meanwhile, Clinton linked the new deal with Bahrain to Iran’s nuclear program and left no doubt that Iran is being target by the supposedly defensive measure.

She emphasized, “Iran’s response to our efforts has been inadequate and we have begun considering further appropriate measures that might convince Iran to reconsider its nuclear program and engage with the international community.”

Recent reports indicate that the Obama administration has started installing missile systems in at least four Persian Gulf states, which are Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Observers insist that the US has been the biggest exporter of weapons for the past two decades, with most of its customers in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. They add that the United States has used Iran as a sort of a “boogie” to market and sell its weapons system in the region.

In a Tuesday meeting with Qatar’s crown prince, President Ahmadinejad expounded on the recent efforts by the US and its allies to enhance its presence in the Persian Gulf. “The Westerners cannot bear the thought of security and solidarity among regional countries,” he said. “They have survived largely by sowing discord and inciting instability in the region.”

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