(Politico) Nahal Toosi - President Obama, who invited six Gulf allies to the Camp David presidential retreat in the hopes of getting more support for his opening to Iran, made only limited headway. The parties announced they would pursue more joint military exercises and cooperate more on cyber-security, counter-terrorism, maritime security and ballistic missile defense. They also touted plans to fast-track arms transfers to the Gulf Arab states. Both sides agree it's worth pursuing a comprehensive and verifiable nuclear deal with Iran, but whether they will define those terms the same way is an open question. Sunni Muslim Arab leaders are nervously watching U.S. overtures to their regional and religious rival. They worry whatever deal is reached will not fully curb Iran's ability to build a bomb, and that lifting sanctions quickly will let Tehran access large amounts of cash it can use to further influence Shiite minorities in the Gulf states.
2015-05-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive