Russia defends Iran

Russia queries US presence in Mideast: agencies
Sat Jan 27, 2007 2:03pm ET

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By Tom Miles

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia expects the United States to explain its growing military presence in the Middle East when the countries next meet to discuss the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian news agencies on Saturday.

"I have seen no change in Washington's fairly aggressive rhetoric," Lavrov said.

"It continues, just like its actions to increase the military presence in the region. It will be one of the questions which we want to clarify in Washington. What's it all about?"

Lavrov is expected to attend a meeting of the so-called Quartet of international mediators in Washington on February 2 to try to revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. Russia, the United States, EU and United Nations make up the Quartet.

The United States is in the process of sending an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, which it invaded in 2003, in an effort to quell an insurgency. It already has 134,000 troops in Iraq.

Washington has said it is deploying a second aircraft carrier group in the Gulf as well as Patriot missile defense systems -- steps widely seen as a warning to Iran and Syria.

The United States, which has accused Iran and Syria of being destabilizing influences in the region, maintains a significant military presence in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, base for the U.S. Navy's Fifth fleet.

Continued...

© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Is this not an odd predicament for the United States? What became of the bargaining chips we had from conducting ourselves in an admirable political stance? Have we used them all defending Israel? Or does the goodwill in Iraq speak for itself? This shall be an interesting development considering the controversy surrounding the country and the "real" issues which shall hopefully be displayed to the international community during this meeting. What do you think about it? Let me know.