NYT:  Gates to Discuss Iran With Emirates Leaders

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here Thursday to consult with the United Arab Emirates about military defenses and the growing unease in the Persian Gulf over possible missile attacks by Iran.

Mr. Gates, who is a crucial part of the Obama administration’s intensifying campaign to put more pressure on Iran, was to meet with the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammad bin Zayyed al Nuhayyan, who is also the deputy commander of the country’s armed forces. The two are expected to discuss the United Arab Emirates’ agreement to accelerate the deployment here of two American-made Patriot missile batteries, which are capable of shooting down short-range offensive missiles.

Like other Gulf countries, the U.A.E. is increasingly nervous about the buildup of Iran’s nuclear capacity, which Iran says is peaceful but which Western nations believe is a covert nuclear arms program.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, who oversees the United States Central Command, disclosed the accelerated deployment of “eight Patriot missile batteries, two in each of four countries,” at a conference in Washington in January. Although General Petraeus did not name the countries, military officials say that one of them is the United Arab Emirates. The officials said that the others are Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Mr. Gates’ message here is to echo what he said during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday: that the United States is committed to the defense of the region and has effectively given up, after years of trying, on persuading Iran through diplomatic talks to give up its nuclear program.

AFP

WSJ:  Gates Calls Iran Support for Taliban ‘Limited’

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday downplayed Iran’s influence on Afghanistan, but the war of words escalated, with Iran’s president promising that the region’s people would “cut your hands off of the Persian Gulf oil.”

Visiting a military base that houses an air-refueling wing serving Afghanistan, Mr. Gates said Iranian support for the Taliban in Afghanistan is “pretty limited” so far.

Mr. Gates noted his public exchange of barbs with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week over which country is doing harm in Afghanistan. He had accused Tehran of undermining U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization efforts by helping the Taliban.

“I have talked about Iran playing a double game in Afghanistan, wanting a good relationship with the Afghan government and wanting to make our lives harder,” he said.

“At this point, the level of their effort I think is not a major problem for us,” Mr. Gates said. “The level of their support for the Taliban, so far as best we can tell, has been pretty limited. I was just trying to express the hope that it wouldn’t get any worse.” The Pentagon asked press traveling with Mr. Gates not to name the military base.

AP