US diplomat says moderate Arab nations fear Iran over Israel
Former US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, on visit to Israel, says Arab world fears Iranian ambitions to dominate region and is interested in cooperating with Israel against Iranian threat; Arab nations are therefore pressing Israeli-Palestinian peace, Cohen says
William Cohen, who served as US Secretary of Defense during the Clinton administration, believes that most of the Arab world no longer regards Israel as an enemy nation.
Iran, rather, has become the greatest threat to moderate Arab countries, and they are interested in cooperating with Israel against the Iranian threat.
Cohen, who is currently visiting Israel, spoke with journalists Thursday evening and noted that the Sunni Arab regimes, and especially the Persian Gulf countries, fear Iran's ambitions to gain dominance in the Middle East by attaining nuclear weapons and supporting terror organizations.
Moderate Arab nations believe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict provides Iran an opportunity to tighten its hold on Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories by supporting Hamas, Hizbullah and the Islamic Jihad, Cohen said. It is these concerns which have prompted the moderate nations to boost efforts to jumpstart the Israeli-Arab peace process.
Cohen himself advised Israel and the Washington administration to focus their efforts on isolating Hamas and boosting financial and military support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to prevent Palestinian dependence on Iranian funds channeled through Hamas.
US support steadfast
The former defense secretary said he believed the United States' support of Israel was unwavering, regardless of administration changes in either country.
He also noted that Washington was likely to respond positively to an Israeli request to purchase the US-developed F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet. Israel's Air Force has recently shown interest in the jet, which is equipped with uniquely advanced stealth technologies and weapons.
Son to an Irish mother and Jewish father, Cohen was appointed defense secretary during Bill Clinton's presidency, even though he was a Republican senator at the time. He is considered an expert on national security issues, and currently heads a prominent consulting firm whose clients include General Dynamics. He also serves as a regular commentator on CNN.
Cohen was visiting Israel as part of a Middle East tour. In Israel he met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the situation in Iraq, Iran's nuclear efforts and the Palestinian issue.
US won't leave unstable Iraq
Cohen believes that Iran constitutes the greatest threat to regional stability, and if the Islamic nation attains nuclear capabilities it will threaten peace the world over.
If the US withdraws from Iraq before the country is stabilized, Iran will gain control over Baghdad via the Iraqi Shiites, Cohen says.
According to Cohen, Saudi Arabia would not watch such a scenario idly and would aid Iraq's Sunnis, leading to an all out war civil war in the country. Such a war could rattle the stability of the entire region.
Cohen believes that President George Bush will decide with the next few months if and when to remove American forces from Iraq, according to developments in the region.
