ABU DHABI (AFP) – US President George W. Bush warned Gulf Arab allies on Sunday of the threat from their neighbour Iran and called for their support of Washington’s policy goals in the Middle East.
In the keynote speech of a week-long Middle East tour, delivered in Abu Dhabi, he also reached out to the Iranian people, saying they had a right to live under a government “that listens to your wishes”. And Bush underlined his belief in democratic freedoms as a shield against terrorism and extremism.
“The fight against the forces of extremism is the great ideological struggle of our time. And in this fight, our nations have a weapon more powerful than bombs or bullets,” he said. “It is the desire for freedom and justice written into our hearts by Almighty God — and no terrorist or tyrant can take that away.”
The US leader hit out at the Tehran regime across the Gulf saying that it was “today the world’s leading state sponsor of terror” and, with Al-Qaeda, the main threat to the region’s stability. The Islamic republic “seeks to intimidate its neighbours with missiles and bellicose rhetoric,” the president said. “Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere.
“So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf — and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late.” The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Iran’s main trading partner with up to 10,000 Iranian firms operating in its commercial hub of Dubai and Bush’s intention to use the platform to speak out against the Tehran regime had been well trailed.
“To the people of Iran, you’re rich in culture and talent. You have the right to live under a government that listens to your wishes, respects your talents and allows you to build better lives for your families,” he said. “Unfortunately your government denies you these opportunities and threatens the peace and stability of your neighbours.” The Middle East tour which Bush began in Israel last Wednesday has been overshadowed by renewed tensions with Tehran following a face-off between Iranian and US naval vessels in the entrance to the Gulf earlier this month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, speaking on Qatar-based television Al-Jazeera, reacted by accusing Bush of seeking to damage Tehran’s relations with its neighbours but dismissed his tour as a “failure.” Bush also used his speech in Abu Dhabi to urge Israelis and Palestinians to have faith in the renewed peace negotiations launched in Annapolis outside Washington in November and to shun the alternative of armed struggle and war.
Turning to the oil-rich Gulf states, which have shown little enthusiasm for Washington’s tough stand against Tehran, he appealed for their support of US goals, including in Lebanon and Iraq. “We urge you to join us in committing the resources to help the Palestinians build the institutions of a free society, help the citizens of Lebanon preserve their government and their sovereignty … , show the Iraqis that you support them in their effort to build a more hopeful nation.”
Bush renewed his call for reform in the Middle East pointing to the example of Japan after World War II where he said a thriving democracy had been built without affecting indigenous culture or religion, despite the strong opposition of supporters of an absolute emperor.
He listed a string of Arab countries which had held elections in recent years. Even in the UAE, indirect elections to an advisory federal council, which are the only polls to have been held so far, were the “first step in a wider reform,” he said.
The bustling emirate of Dubai will close down on Monday as part of security measures for hosting Bush before he flies on to Saudi Arabia.
An official announcement did not give more details about the security measures put in place for Bush’s trip, during which he is expected to be shown some of Dubai’s landmarks. The president’s tour winds up in Egypt on Wednesday.
© AFP 2008