Hagel Reassures Persian Gulf Allies But Stops Short Of Offering Lethal Aid To Syria Rebels
Source: Associated Press
Associated Press | 2 hours, 10 minutes ago in Politics
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reassured Persian Gulf allies Wednesday of U.S. commitments to defend them amid tensions in the U.S.-Saudi relationship, including differences over how to help moderate rebel forces remove President Bashar Assad from power in Syria.
Hagel's visit — his third to Saudi Arabia in the past year — was designed to calm Gulf states that feel vulnerable to Iran's influence and are frustrated at U.S. policy on Syria, which has not yet included weapons or other lethal aid in the three-year civil war. Washington also wants to foster more effective, practical forms of defense cooperation on the Arabian Peninsula by integrating their air and missile defense systems.
Hagel addressed the Iran issue at the outset of a meeting of defense ministers from the Gulf states allied with Washington, including Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He made only glancing mention of the Syria problem, which is viewed by the Saudis as a worrying sign of U.S. hesitation to confront Iranian influences in the region. Hagel said Syria reflects a confluence of violent extremism, fragile states and humanitarian emergencies.
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