President Ahmadinejad has been a busy guy, the last few days.
Yesterday, he was the guest of honor at a huge anti-US rally at a soccer stadium in Dubai.
You remember Dubai, right? The country president Bush called our `firm ally in the war against terror' back when he was trying to push through Dubai's control of US ports and half the retired pols in Wqashington were shilling for them, including Mr. Bill?
Well, Ahmadinejad had a few things on his mind. He told a cheering crowd Sunday that America was to blame for creating instability and robbing the region of its oil wealth.
"We are telling you to leave the region. This is for your benefit and the benefit of your nation," Ahmadinejad shouted to the crowd of thousands at a soccer stadium. "The nations of the region can no longer take you forcing yourself on them. The nations of the region know better how to create peace and security."
Ahmadinejad's visit was the first by an Iranian head of state to this Sunni-led Arab country since it became independent in 1971. And remember, this is a place where political parties are banned and power is held solely by the Emir and the ruling families...which Ahmadinejad was there with their permission and approval. And this was just one day after US VP Dick Cheney left after visiting our `allies' in Dubai on his Middle East swing.
Today, he again followed in Cheney's footsteps and went to another of the Emirates, Abu Dhabi, where he weighed in at a press conference , responding to Cheney's remarks from the deck of the USS Stennis.
"They (the U.S.) cannot strike Iran," he said at his press conference during a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. "The Iranian people can protect themselves and retaliate."
Aside form this saber rattling, Ahmadinejad was there to crow about the new, improved relations between Iran and the Emirates....and unlike Dick Cheney, Ahmadinejad got a top level, enthusiastic and very public reception, which should tell any intelligent observer which way the wind is blowing.
Ahmadinejad said relations had taken a "quantum leap," with Iran and the Emirates agreeing to create a joint committee headed by their foreign ministers to boost cooperation in tourism, trade, energy and development.
"There's a willingness on both sides to upgrade relations," he said. "Relations between Iran and the UAE can be a model for all the countries of the region."
He also said Iran is ready to band together in a Gulf-wide security alliance with those supposed US `allies' in the Gulf....which would mean a nice Iranian controlled sphere of influence on both sides of the Persian Gulf, including the Shiites in Iraq.
Ahmadinejad said the Americans had `overextended their welcome in the region' and that the US should get out.
"What are these others doing in our region?" he replied when asking to comment on Cheney's remarks about not permitting Iran to develop nukes. "Are they more keen with regard to the nuclear issue than everyone else in the region?"
"This region won't allow other powers from thousands of miles away to threaten the region and create enmity," he said. "Our talks with our brothers in the United Arab Emirates reiterated this truth again and again."
What we are seeing is the the Arabs and Iran allying to from a united front against the West. Historically, this is exactly how the Muslim world has behaved....the better to wage jihad.
2 comments:
The US is only in the region at the pleasure of the countries where we have bases and a presence. If we are forcing our will on them, it is only at the pleasure of the soverign governments of these countries. If the US is stealing the oil wealth of these countries, it is only at the pleasure of the soverign governments of these countries. The government of the UAE may rue the day that they tried to appease the Iranians by allowing Amadinejad to make this speech. In any event, the US will likely be withdrawing from the Middle East very soon any way. Most Americans would agree with Amadinejad that we should not be in the Middle East. I think this is one area where it seems Arabs and Americans are in agreement. I think most Americans, if they are aware of Iran's position regarding the US, would agree that Iran should stop seeking the destruction of America. After America withdraws from the Middle East, we shall see if the Iranians will treat America with respect and dignity. I'm not optimistic that they will.
It seems one of the biggest problems the US has here is getting its true message out. Clearly we are not out to dictate terms to Arabs and we are not out to steal their oil but we have been unable to get our message out. As I recall, during the Cold War Air America Radio broadcast our message into the former Soviet Union. Perhaps a simillar concept can work in the UAE and in Iran.
Btw, it is unlikely that the main stream media will report on this story. This is why I read Joshuapundit, to get the rest of the story:)
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