[Peace-discuss] Why Obama is killing people in E. Africa

[Carl G. Estabrook]

'US hiding Iraq defeat with Persian Gulf troop hike'
Wed Nov 2, 2011 3:11PM

Iran's Defense Minister says the US plan to beef up its military  
presence in the Persian Gulf is a measure to make up for its failure  
in Iraq.

“Proposing to strengthen American military presence in the Persian  
Gulf [by Washington] is out of desperation and only to compensate for  
the defeat resulting from its pullout from Iraq,” Brigadier General  
Ahmad Vahidi told IRNA on Wednesday.

Quoting US officials and diplomats, The New York Times said on Sunday  
that the administration of Barack Obama is planning to bolster  
military forces in the Persian Gulf. The plan could include deploying  
new combat forces in Kuwait and naval warships in the region's  
international waters.

Referring to the declared US withdrawal from Iraq by the end of the  
year, Vahidi said after the Iraqi nation began pursuing their  
expulsion through resistance the Americans have been trying to make up  
for this defeat by resorting to such measures.

On October 21, President Obama declared a full withdrawal from Iraq by  
the end of 2011, as agreed in a security pact signed with Baghdad  
under his predecessor George W. Bush.

The US made the decision to fully withdraw its troops after  
unsuccessfully pressing the Iraqi government to permit as many as  
20,000 American troops to remain in the Middle Eastern country beyond  
2011.

The Iranian commander went on to say that the remarks made by US  
officials about their attempts to prevent the intervention of other  
states in Iraq are aimed at “covering their [own] weakness and defeat.”

On October 26, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Iran not to  
meddle in Iraq when American forces leave the country by the end of  
the year.

"The message to Iran and everybody else that might have any ideas  
there is that the US is going to have a presence in the region for a  
long time to come," said Panetta, stressing that Washington would  
maintain a significant presence in the Middle East.

Washington's plan to ratchet up its military presence in the Persian  
Gulf came after widespread criticism inside the US that the decision  
to withdraw from Iraq could lead to instability in the region.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/208032.html
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