Tillerson barks up wrong tree in Middle East
TEHRAN(Basirat): US President Donald Trump administration assumes that international issues could be addressed through announcing new strategies.
Based on the very same assumption, the US authorities have been visiting
the Middle East, hoping to solve the problems one after another, but
problems have apparently exacerbated.
The Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Sabah arrived in Washington on September 7, 2017 to talk with Trump about regional conditions, and in particular, about the dispute between the Persian Gulf Arab states and Qatar.
Trump, after the meeting, told reporters, 'I think it’s something that's going to get solved fairly easily. Kuwait has been really the leader of getting it solved, and we appreciate that very much. But I do believe that we’ll solve it. If we don't solve it, I will be a mediator right here in the White House. We’ll come together. Very quickly, I think, we’ll have something solved.'
Trump, however, turned to Iranophobia in order to make a new common enemy for the Arab states in an attempt to bring them together. The US president called on members of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council to try to safeguard stability in the region and stand against the so-called threats from Iran.
Again on October 13, Trump repeated his call on the Persian Gulf littoral Arab countries and in this way, he set roadmap for a new anti-Iran American strategy.
Shortly after Trump mapped out his new strategy towards Iran, members of his administration rolled up their sleeves. Trump's national security adviser Herbert McMaster was the first who followed suit to portray Iran as a threat and to propagate Iranophobia.
McMaster, addressing the so-called Foundation for Defense of Democracies, defended the White House strategy towards Iran and said that the Iran strategy is a good example, instead of focusing on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as Iran Nuclear Deal.
He said that the new US strategy towards addresses all the so-called 'malicious activities', like countering Israel, and went on to allege that Iran is a threat for shipping in the Persian Gulf and a threat to US allies.
McMaster added that the strategy includes all their national powers and focuses on neutralizing Iran's so-called malicious leverage and destabilizing attempts in the region. He also elaborated on the reason for adopting such strategy: reviving alliance between the United States and regional countries to confront Iran and its destabilizing activities in the region.
Trump's national security adviser said that the US administration has reached a common understanding with the countries in the region and they are unanimous on what to do and how to approach the issue.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who as a former senator was blatant to show his hostility towards Iran, was the next to come on the scene to level similar accusations against Iran.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was yet another official to join in. Tillerson rushed to the region to try his luck to settle the dispute in the Persian Gulf and unite the Arab states in the region through promoting Iranophobia.
Tillerson, now, follows Trump's policies more determinedly, which is clearly seen in McMaster's remarks, praising coordination between US government departments and describing the US engagement with the world as far more better.
In the statements released by the US Department of States, issues like Iran, the crisis in Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan ties, have been mentioned, but after the visit to the region by the US secretary of state, the Saudis and Qataris were still unwilling to negotiate any soon.
This cost Trump dear; the US president is of the idea that dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on one hand, and Qatar, on the other , is expected to downplay the importance of countering Iran, so Trump wanted them to negotiate.
**Trying to compensate for the Saudi's defeat
The US, at the same time, is trying to downgrade Iran's efforts to fight terrorism in the region; an issue that could well serve as common ground for cooperation between Iran and its neighbors, especially Iraq.
As appeared in the words of McMaster, Iran should put an end to the so-called exploiting of armed groups in Iraq.
That's costly to the Iraqis, he said, adding that they wanted a stable Iraq that is not in line with Iran.
McMaster went on to suggest that Saudi Arabia could play an important role; therefore, while Tillerson was going to make a visit to Riyadh, Iraqi Prime Minster Haider al-Abadi was invited to Riyadh to form a trilateral meeting. They tried hard to cut between Iran and its western neighbor through expanding the Iraqi-Saudi cooperation, and offering Saudi financial support for Baghdad.
Heretofore, the US authorities had said that they hoped oil-rich Saudi Arabia, partook in reconstruction of Iraq.
Saudi Arabia, which, after the US invasion of Iraq, has always been worried about Iran's leverage in Iraq, wishes to use the investment opportunities to deepen its own sphere of influence.
To isolate Iran, Trump needs the Arab states; Baghdad-Riyadh poor relations, on the one hand, and the Qatar crisis, on the other, will be obstacles on his way. Therefore, Tillerson showed US support for Baghdad-Riyadh relations and tried to reduce acrimonies.
But before long, Tillerson commented on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF); the Iraqi prime minister severely criticized the comment and called it interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.
PMF said in a statement that its forces are from amongst the people of Iraq who have shown a great self-sacrifice for their country, and added that no one has the right to interfere in Iraq's internal affair and decide what Iraqis should do.
Consequently, Tillerson left the region without any tangible gains.
** Road to survive
After his Persian Gulf tour, Tillerson made an unexpected visit to Afghanistan; a visit considered by many as a serious message to Islamabad, emphasizing on Trump's threats made against Pakistan.
Trump had threatened that if Pakistan didn’t carry out Washington's policies, it would face sanctions. On the other hand, in a bid to isolate Iran more, Washington has sought to strengthen ties with India and enhance its military and political presence in Afghanistan.
However, some experts think that the policy may lead to more intimate relations between Iran and Pakistan.
Deputy Director and Senior Associate for South Asia at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Michael Kugelman said the idea that the US has deep leverage in Pakistan is highly exaggerated; no matter what the US policy is; pressure, punishment or encouragement, Pakistan carries out its own policies.
Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the US has already been defeated in Afghanistan and is now trying to save itself.
The US belligerent policy in the country, Asif said, will bring it to another defeat in Afghanistan.
Tillerson's visit to the region once again show that remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, made after the JCPOA Joint Commission on the sideline of the UN General Assembly, were quite right.
Zarif had said the US government showed that it knows nothing about international realities.
The Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Sabah arrived in Washington on September 7, 2017 to talk with Trump about regional conditions, and in particular, about the dispute between the Persian Gulf Arab states and Qatar.
Trump, after the meeting, told reporters, 'I think it’s something that's going to get solved fairly easily. Kuwait has been really the leader of getting it solved, and we appreciate that very much. But I do believe that we’ll solve it. If we don't solve it, I will be a mediator right here in the White House. We’ll come together. Very quickly, I think, we’ll have something solved.'
Trump, however, turned to Iranophobia in order to make a new common enemy for the Arab states in an attempt to bring them together. The US president called on members of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council to try to safeguard stability in the region and stand against the so-called threats from Iran.
Again on October 13, Trump repeated his call on the Persian Gulf littoral Arab countries and in this way, he set roadmap for a new anti-Iran American strategy.
Shortly after Trump mapped out his new strategy towards Iran, members of his administration rolled up their sleeves. Trump's national security adviser Herbert McMaster was the first who followed suit to portray Iran as a threat and to propagate Iranophobia.
McMaster, addressing the so-called Foundation for Defense of Democracies, defended the White House strategy towards Iran and said that the Iran strategy is a good example, instead of focusing on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as Iran Nuclear Deal.
He said that the new US strategy towards addresses all the so-called 'malicious activities', like countering Israel, and went on to allege that Iran is a threat for shipping in the Persian Gulf and a threat to US allies.
McMaster added that the strategy includes all their national powers and focuses on neutralizing Iran's so-called malicious leverage and destabilizing attempts in the region. He also elaborated on the reason for adopting such strategy: reviving alliance between the United States and regional countries to confront Iran and its destabilizing activities in the region.
Trump's national security adviser said that the US administration has reached a common understanding with the countries in the region and they are unanimous on what to do and how to approach the issue.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who as a former senator was blatant to show his hostility towards Iran, was the next to come on the scene to level similar accusations against Iran.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was yet another official to join in. Tillerson rushed to the region to try his luck to settle the dispute in the Persian Gulf and unite the Arab states in the region through promoting Iranophobia.
Tillerson, now, follows Trump's policies more determinedly, which is clearly seen in McMaster's remarks, praising coordination between US government departments and describing the US engagement with the world as far more better.
In the statements released by the US Department of States, issues like Iran, the crisis in Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan ties, have been mentioned, but after the visit to the region by the US secretary of state, the Saudis and Qataris were still unwilling to negotiate any soon.
This cost Trump dear; the US president is of the idea that dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on one hand, and Qatar, on the other , is expected to downplay the importance of countering Iran, so Trump wanted them to negotiate.
**Trying to compensate for the Saudi's defeat
The US, at the same time, is trying to downgrade Iran's efforts to fight terrorism in the region; an issue that could well serve as common ground for cooperation between Iran and its neighbors, especially Iraq.
As appeared in the words of McMaster, Iran should put an end to the so-called exploiting of armed groups in Iraq.
That's costly to the Iraqis, he said, adding that they wanted a stable Iraq that is not in line with Iran.
McMaster went on to suggest that Saudi Arabia could play an important role; therefore, while Tillerson was going to make a visit to Riyadh, Iraqi Prime Minster Haider al-Abadi was invited to Riyadh to form a trilateral meeting. They tried hard to cut between Iran and its western neighbor through expanding the Iraqi-Saudi cooperation, and offering Saudi financial support for Baghdad.
Heretofore, the US authorities had said that they hoped oil-rich Saudi Arabia, partook in reconstruction of Iraq.
Saudi Arabia, which, after the US invasion of Iraq, has always been worried about Iran's leverage in Iraq, wishes to use the investment opportunities to deepen its own sphere of influence.
To isolate Iran, Trump needs the Arab states; Baghdad-Riyadh poor relations, on the one hand, and the Qatar crisis, on the other, will be obstacles on his way. Therefore, Tillerson showed US support for Baghdad-Riyadh relations and tried to reduce acrimonies.
But before long, Tillerson commented on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF); the Iraqi prime minister severely criticized the comment and called it interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.
PMF said in a statement that its forces are from amongst the people of Iraq who have shown a great self-sacrifice for their country, and added that no one has the right to interfere in Iraq's internal affair and decide what Iraqis should do.
Consequently, Tillerson left the region without any tangible gains.
** Road to survive
After his Persian Gulf tour, Tillerson made an unexpected visit to Afghanistan; a visit considered by many as a serious message to Islamabad, emphasizing on Trump's threats made against Pakistan.
Trump had threatened that if Pakistan didn’t carry out Washington's policies, it would face sanctions. On the other hand, in a bid to isolate Iran more, Washington has sought to strengthen ties with India and enhance its military and political presence in Afghanistan.
However, some experts think that the policy may lead to more intimate relations between Iran and Pakistan.
Deputy Director and Senior Associate for South Asia at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Michael Kugelman said the idea that the US has deep leverage in Pakistan is highly exaggerated; no matter what the US policy is; pressure, punishment or encouragement, Pakistan carries out its own policies.
Pakistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the US has already been defeated in Afghanistan and is now trying to save itself.
The US belligerent policy in the country, Asif said, will bring it to another defeat in Afghanistan.
Tillerson's visit to the region once again show that remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, made after the JCPOA Joint Commission on the sideline of the UN General Assembly, were quite right.
Zarif had said the US government showed that it knows nothing about international realities.
Source:Irna
