Report: Gulf States Prepared to Back US Military Strike on Iran

Tue, Jan 23, 2007 at 2:00:37 pm PST

A new paper issued by an influential Dubai think tank suggests that Gulf states may be prepared to back a US military strike on Iran.

The paper, written by GRC program director, Dr. Christian Koch, makes it clear that the Gulf States view Iran as an existential threat and the paper warns that:

Instead of trying to position itself as the main power in the Middle East that is set on challenging and bringing down US dominance, Iran should truly begin to engage the region and seek broad-based solutions to the region’s urgent problems. Unfortunately, Iran refuses to provide its neighbors with any sort of confidence concerning its ultimate ambitions. From the Arab Gulf perspective, Iranian actions simply look as replacing one bully with another. At a time when the Arab Gulf states are looking for reassurances, Iranian pronouncements of its military capabilities and ability to send thousands of suicide bombers to the other side of the Gulf in response to any US military campaign represents an attempt at intimidation in the least. It is little wonder then that the Arab Gulf states continue to request and depend on US protection given that “export of the revolution”? represents a real threat to their existence.