McCain, R-Ariz., said that’s why the Saudis gave Gen. “Right now they feel that they have no support from this administration so he has a steep hill to climb,” said McCain, pointing to Saudi Arabia’s decision to act unilaterally in Yemen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Obama will have to work hard to convince the Arab allies that they do not need to fear fallout from any nuclear deal. They worry that the deal would unlock billions of dollars that Iran might decide to use to further intrude in countries or support terrorist proxies. The White House says the Gulf countries would be better off with an agreement that blocks Iran’s path to an atomic weapon.īut the nuclear deal is not the only source of unease.Īrab allies feel threatened by Iran’s rising influence and they fear a nuclear pact will embolden Tehran. and five other nations are working to finalize a deal intended to stop Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in exchange for easing penalties that are choking the Iranian economy. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to disclose details of the Saudis’ wish list at the summit, said they also want access to high-tech military equipment, missiles, planes and satellites, as well as more technology and training cooperation with the U.S. “The challenge is how do you turn on a regional defense system when different countries are purchasing different equipment and at different paces? How do you link it? How do you get the radars to talk to each other?”Ī high-level Saudi official told The Associated Press in Riyadh that his country wants a defense system and military cooperation similar to what the U.S.
I think everyone’s on board,” Qtaiba said. “I don’t believe there’s a single GCC country that doesn’t think a defense shield for the region is a bad idea. Making the countries’ defense systems work in concert. Better cooperation on cybersecurity, as well as maritime or border security. A renewed call for a coordinated missile defense system. What are the expectations for Obama’s meetings with Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman? I think today, we need something in writing. “In the past, we have survived with a gentleman’s agreement with the United States about security. We definitely want a stronger relationship,” said Yousef Al Qtaiba, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States. “I think we are looking for some form of security guarantee, given the behavior of Iran in the region, given the rise of the extremist threat. They want commitments from Obama that the United States has their backs at a time when the region is under siege from Islamic extremists, Syria continues to unravel, Iraq is volatile and Yemen is in chaos. WASHINGTON– Leaders of Gulf nations unnerved by Washington’s nuclear talks with Iran and Tehran’s meddling across the Mideast look to President Barack Obama to promise more than words and weapons at Thursday’s Camp David summit.
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