Hagel Assures Gulf Allies of Continued U.S. Military Presence -- WSJ
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies on Wednesday that the U.S. would maintain its military presence in the region to deter Iran even if negotiations to curb its nuclear program are successful.
Negotiators will begin drafting terms of a final agreement on the future of Tehran's nuclear program this week in Vienna. A deal would end a decade-long standoff between Tehran and the West and put into place greater assurances that Iran won't be able to build a bomb, in return for a major easing of Western sanctions.
The U.S. pulled its troops out of Iraq and has sought to shift its focus to Asia, unnerving Gulf states worried about Iran's regional ambitions.
Addressing a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah, Mr. Hagel said the U.S. would "under no circumstances trade away regional security" for concessions from Iran over its nuclear program.
"While our strong preference is for a diplomatic solution, the United States will remain postured and prepared to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon and that Iran abides by the terms of any potential agreement," Mr. Hagel said at the Conference Palace.
"No matter the outcome of the nuclear negotiations, the United States remains committed to our Gulf partners' security," Mr. Hagel added. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates make up the regional bloc.
The main area of disagreement in the nuclear talks continues to be the scope of Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities, which could be used to produce weapons-grade fuel for a bomb, according to U.S. and European officials.
The U.S. military currently has 35,000 military personnel in the region, including the Navy's 5th Fleet and advanced missile defense systems.
The Pentagon wants to strengthen its Gulf allies, and the GCC as a whole, to enable them to assume more responsibility for regional security. But tensions between member states, particularly Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have hampered those efforts.
Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar in March to protest Doha's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a group labeled a "terrorist organization" by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Subsequent mediation by Kuwait has calmed the unusually public quarrel but deep differences remain.
In his address, Mr. Hagel called on the GCC to step up its role in the region, from assuming command of a combined maritime force in the Gulf to increasing cyberdefense cooperation with the U.S.
Israel and Saudi Arabia are calling for a complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear installations so the country couldn't maintain the capacity to build nuclear weapons.
Mr. Hagel will also visit Israel this week to tell its leaders that the U.S. remains committed to its security.
