Iran, U.S.-allied Arabs relations heat up

[Psycho4Bud]

CAIRO, Egypt -- Iran and its U.S.-allied Arab neighbors have long had testy relations. Now the talk is getting tougher as they compete for power in the Middle East.

Nowhere was the friction more evident than at the World Economic Forum held in Jordan over the weekend. The conference was supposed to promote regional collaboration. Instead Arab nations gave Iran the cold shoulder, underscoring their resentment to Tehran's growing influence in the region.

Iran set the hostile tone when a few delegates led by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki harshly criticized the Arabs along with the United States and Israel, Tehran's two main enemies.

The Arabs responded in kind.

At one panel on peace and stability, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas put a hard-line, influential Iranian on the spot.

The Palestinian, Saeb Erekat, chided Mohammed J.A. Larijani, a former Iranian deputy foreign minister, telling him Iran should stop its anti-Israel rhetoric and help create a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

"Add Palestine to the map instead of removing Israel from the map," Erekat said, referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel's "Zionist regime" to be "wiped off the map."

Moderates like Abbas and Erekat see Iran's meddling as a major threat to Palestinians reaching a two-state solution to the conflict. That inference includes Tehran's support for the militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups that refuse to recognize Israel.

The same sort of resentment can be found regarding Iran's support for the Shiite-led government in Iraq. Most of the Arab nations are dominated by Sunni Muslims, the sect fighting Shiites in Iraq.

Even in the Gulf, tensions are high among neighbors. Ahmadinejad recently struck a nerve with Emirates officials when he demanded the U.S. military leave the Gulf. The U.S. keeps 40,000 troops on bases in Gulf states and another 20,000 in Mideast waters.

Mottaki's comments at the Jordan conference were even harsher. He slammed an Arab initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace as sure to founder, arguing Israel had no intention of striking a deal.

"We had some 130 plans in the past 30 years, but none of them were realized because of the approach of the other side (Israel)," Mottaki said.

Arab countries defended the plan, which they revived this spring but has yet to take off amid internal Palestinian fighting.

Former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Turki al-Faisal, scolded Iran, saying that the predominantly Persian country had little to do with Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

"It's an Arab issue and should be resolved within the Arab fold," he said.

But the tough talk from Arabs did little to quell Mottaki, who at one point referred to the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council - which includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE but not Iran - as the Persian Gulf Council.

That offended Arab Gulf countries, which refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf and for whom the name carries great significance.

Despite the bitter words, both Mottaki and Larijani tried to reassure their Arab neighbors that Iran was not the problem and had good intentions.

Larijani, the brother of Iran's top nuclear negotiator, also urged Arab countries to support his country's nuclear program.

The U.S. and some of its allies have accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons; Iran says its program is peaceful.

But Mideast neighbors have grown worried, and some, including the GCC, Egypt and Jordan, have announced they want to start their own nuclear programs for peaceful purposes.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi was perhaps the most blunt.

"We say stop your interference in our internal affairs, stop settling scores on our soil ... and sit down with us to settle our differences," al-Hashemi said.
Iran, U.S.-allied Arabs relations heat up

ARAB NATIONS even have a problem with Iran.......hell, even the Palestinians! Shouldn't that be a clue to the world?

Have a good one!:s4:

Psycho4Bud Reviewed by Psycho4Bud on 05-22-2007. Iran, U.S.-allied Arabs relations heat up CAIRO, Egypt -- Iran and its U.S.-allied Arab neighbors have long had testy relations. Now the talk is getting tougher as they compete for power in the Middle East. Nowhere was the friction more evident than at the World Economic Forum held in Jordan over the weekend. The conference was supposed to promote regional collaboration. Instead Arab nations gave Iran the cold shoulder, underscoring their resentment to Tehran's growing influence in the region. Iran set the hostile tone when a few Rating: 5

[medicinal]

Anyone with a smidge of common sense can see that the Iraq war has destabilized the middle east and there will be widespread chaos ensuing there in the near future. If we don't pull out now, there will be a slaughter of our troops not seen since WWII. This insane war has started a watershed of squabbles between the Sunni Arabs and the Shiite Muslems. this war is in the beginning stages and will not be stopped by diplomacy, the blame lies squarely on the insane Bush regime! Without the War in Iraq, the lid could have been kept on this boiling pot, now it is boiling over and, yes it is Bushs' fault!!!

[Psycho4Bud]

This insane war has started a watershed of squabbles between the Sunni Arabs and the Shiite Muslems. Without the War in Iraq, the lid could have been kept on this boiling pot, now it is boiling over and, yes it is Bushs' fault!!!

OMG! You HAVE to be kidding me. Now it's Bush's fault that the Sunni and Shi-ite don't get along? I COULD go into 2000 years of history but what would be the point.......hate blinds even the best of men.

Have a good one!:s4:

[delusionsofNORMALity]

Anyone with a smidge of common sense can see that the Iraq war has destabilized the middle east....

the middle east hasn't known a moment's stability in recent history and their tribal squabbling has been going on for centuries. bush may be an inept and moderately corrupt leader, but to blame his administration for the centuries old animosities of the region is insane.

[medicinal]

the middle east hasn't known a moment's stability in recent history and their tribal squabbling has been going on for centuries. bush may be an inept and moderately corrupt leader, but to blame his administration for the centuries old animosities of the region is insane.

I guess you guys don't know how to read. What I said was the pot was boiling before the war but the war has caused it to boil over. Prove me wrong! We are the largest destabilizing force in the area. Prove me wrong. Facts is facts. Tell me that the sunnis and shiites would be fighting if Sadam was still in power. He would kill a few thousand shiites and it would be over. Sadam kept the lid on the pot and Bush removed him, utterly stupid. You have to look at the big picture, not Sadam bad, kill Sadam! We have litteraly opened Pandoras box. You can blame it on all kinds of abstract thingys, but the fact is We, The USA, destabilized the middle east, period.

[Nocturnal Stoner]

just a comment on Bush-

He said that he went in for WMDs- where are they?

He said he would overthrow a tyranical dictator- What about Zimbabwe and Mugabe? where the inflation rate is higher than I am right now.

[Psycho4Bud]

Iran, U.S.-allied Arabs relations heat up

Even the Palestinians bitched about Iran and how does this lead? Bush is bad.........give me a break! This has NOTHING to do with Bush or the U.S..

Have a good one!:s4:

[fishman3811]

It has everything to do with that idiot bush if he wouldnt off went into Iraq this mess wouldnt be happening right now.Bush and his puppet masters have caused a real mess there and they dont have a clue of how to fix it.Bush will go down in history as the president who started WW3 and i just cant believe how any off you can defend this guy or this administration for the error in judgement the total lack of knowledge pertaining to Iraq and what would happen if you invaded a muslim country.This administration put loyalty ahead of knowledge when placing people to run Iraq once the invasion was over.The overall stupidity of the neo-cons who were running Iraq just after the invasion is the reason Iraq is the mess it is today.None of them had any idea of the culture or the religion of the people they just conquered and most of the people in Paul Bremmers CPA didnt even have a passport before they went to Iraq.So because of bush's ignorance and his stupidity we have the mess in the middle east.

[Psycho4Bud]

Unreal........this goes back to Persian/Arab wars then to Sunni/Shiite wars. How the hell can ANYONE blame this on Bush, the U.S., or the west in general? This crap with these people has been going on for over 2000 years! OUR presence in Iraq DID NOT do anymore to the rift than was already there. If anything, we might just have a chance to show that these people can live together without one being the others master.

Palestine is made up of mainly Sunnis.......they DO NOT want or need the help of a Shiite Persian is basically what this article amounts to. Likewise, they sure the hell don't want these people to be nuclear capable.

Have a good one!:s4:

[medicinal]

Unreal........this goes back to Persian/Arab wars then to Sunni/Shiite wars. How the hell can ANYONE blame this on Bush, the U.S., or the west in general? This crap with these people has been going on for over 2000 years! OUR presence in Iraq DID NOT do anymore to the rift than was already there. If anything, we might just have a chance to show that these people can live together without one being the others master.
Palestine is made up of mainly Sunnis.......they DO NOT want or need the help of a Shiite Persian is basically what this article amounts to. Likewise, they sure the hell don't want these people to be nuclear capable.

Have a good one!:s4:

No offense intended, but what fucking planet are you on. Yes we started the shit in Iraq, Yes it will probably lead to bigger things, Yes it is Bushs' fault. We know the sunni-shia thing goes back 2000+ years, but Sadam had a handle on it in Iraq. By removing him we have unleashed Pandoras Box. Come on P4B, you can't be that stubborn and blind. The whole uprising in the middle east is directly related to the Iraq war.