Iran is not happy with the deployment of missiles to Gulf states and additional Navy vessels.
But, the Gulf states see it as an effort to protect themselves against saber-rattling Iran.
Gulf Official: Gulf States Have the Right to Defend Against Any Potential Threats
04/02/2010
Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Nabeel Bin Yacoub al-Hamar, the Chairman of the Bahrain Institute for Political Development [BIPD] and media adviser to the King of Bahrain, told Asharq Al-Awsat that "Gulf States have the right to protect their territory...from any potential attacks." He said that he was surprised by the "exaggerated" Iranian response to the US deployment of missile defense systems in a number of Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] member-states.
The Washington Post reported the story more from the Iranian perspective, quoting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sounding almost like a Republican in explicating the U.S. motivation.
"Westerners do not want friendly relations between countries in the region. Their life is dependent on rifts and insecurity," the president told the visiting crown prince, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose country hosts the largest U.S. base in the Gulf.
"The enemies intend to extend the fire of war in the entire region to solve their own political and economic problems," state TV quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in their meeting.
Russia Today reports:
Over the weekend, the Guardian newspaper reported the story under the headline
US boosts missile presence in Gulf as warning to Iran
Pentagon expands Patriot missile programme across Middle East after Tehran repeatedly spurns hand of diplomacy
while the Voice of America reports:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday defended U.S. efforts to build up defense capabilities of Persian Gulf allies in the face of Iran's defiance of international efforts to curb its nuclear program. Clinton met with Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, who said the measures are not intended to provoke Iran.
Clinton is defending the Persian Gulf defense moves in the face of increasingly harsh Iranian comments about a military buildup Tehran calls provocative and a threat to the region.
In recent weeks, the United States been speeding up deliveries of defensive weapons to allies in the region and has deployed Patriot anti-missile systems in four countries there.
Perhaps because all of these developments were to expected following the announced plans to withdraw from Iraq, they don't seem to be occasioning much discussion from U.S. politicians.
Can we conclude from their silence that Republicans are fully in accord with these developments?