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Former US Defence Secretary: Washington has no Mid East strategy ‘at all’
Former-US Secretary of Defence Bob Gates yesterday candidly criticised Washington’s Middle East policy, saying that it lacked any real strategy and warned that such an approach could embolden Iran.
Gates was interviewed on both CBS and MSNBC television networks. Having served as Secretary of Defence from 2006 to 2011 and also as CIA Director in the early 1990s, Gates answered questions on Middle East policy, emphasising his “several decades” in the Situation Room. He made clear that “our interests remain important in the Middle East” but warned “I think our [Middle East] interests are enduring, but I certainly don’t think we have a strategy.” Gates concluded, “We’re basically sort of playing this day to day.”
Talking specifically about Turkey, but also in comments which some will believe also applies to the US-Israel relationship, Gates said, “My own view is, you don’t walk away from the people that you’ve counted as your friends and allies for several decades. The question is, how should those relationships evolve?” He also cautioned that the absence of regional policy direction could lead to Iran being strengthened, particularly if Iraq begins to fall apart.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are matched by a desire for greater regional domination, with Hezbollah, Hamas and the Assad regime in Syria already reliant on Tehran’s support. Saudi Arabia and Gulf states also accuse Iran of striving for regional hegemony. Last week, Saudi and Gulf leaders met with President Obama to further discuss their concerns.
Reuters reports this morning that an anonymous Israeli official has accused Washington of ignoring Israeli warnings over Iranian sanctions violations. The Financial Times recently reported that Iran covertly purchased a number of commercial aircraft, which could be used to transport weapons, in contravention of sanctions. The official said, “We flagged the issue to the US administration … Unfortunately, the deal still went through and there was no success in preventing it.”