Gates appeals to Saudis to back sanctions on Iran
AFP
Date: 3/10/2010
by Dan De Luce Dan De Luce – Wed Mar 10, 5:55 pm ET
RIYADH (AFP) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday appealed to Saudi leaders to back a US–led drive for tough sanctions against Iran in a visit to Riyadh and came away "hopeful," his press secretary said.
Gates met King Abdullah and the Saudi crown prince as part of President Barack Obama's diplomatic push for fresh UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, seeking help from an oil–rich ally amid opposition from China.
"We are certainly hopeful that the Saudis will use whatever influence they have which is considerable in this region and throughout the world to try and help us in our efforts at the UN so we can get meaningful sanctions enacted against Iran," press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
Gates told the Saudis that after Iran had "largely rebuffed" US overtures for a conciliatory dialogue, the Obama administration was now focused on ramping up pressure on Tehran, said a defense official who attended the talks.
But Gates stressed the United States wanted to see financial sanctions targeted on Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard and not the Iranian population.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "it was our strong impression that this overall approach was one that the Saudis were supportive of."
With China apparently the strongest holdout to sanctions among the five veto–wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Americans have turned to their Saudi allies to persuade China to reconsider.
Washington hopes the Saudis could guarantee China stable oil supplies in the event of disruption from Iran.
Although Riyadh views Iran as a regional threat, it has yet to openly endorse more sanctions.
Leaders of the oil–rich kingdom might choose to exert their diplomatic muscle discreetly, without publicly broadcasting their stance, the official told reporters.
At a desert palace on the outskirts of Riyadh, Gates held talks with the king and his aides, followed by a sumptuous dinner and then a one–on–one session with the monarch lasting about 45 minutes.
He earlier met Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the king's half–brother and minister of defence and aviation since 1962.
The diplomatic climate has shifted since Gates last visited Riyadh in May, when he had to reassure an anxious Saudi leadership that Obama's offer of dialogue with Tehran would not jeopardise Washington's long–running alliance with the kingdom.
Any prospect of a diplomatic thawing has since faded, amid rising tensions over Tehran's pursuit of uranium enrichment.
The UN Security Council has already imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment which Israel and the West view as a cover to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies the charge, saying the programme is for peaceful nuclear energy.
The Pentagon chief also discussed bolstering Saudi air, land and missile defences as part of a broader US effort to boost security in the Gulf in the face of Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, the official said.
The United States has promised to speed up weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies, which have bought billions of dollars worth of American weapons in recent years.
Although the Saudis have long sought modern weaponry, the threat posed by Iran served as an "an accelerator" for their pursuit of missile defence systems, fighter jets and hi–tech warships, the official said.
US officials believe the arms buildup in the Gulf sends a clear signal to Iran that its nuclear and missile programmes are counter–productive.
"It's not lost on the Iranians all the security cooperation that's been going on for years now," Morrell said before the visit.
Apart from Iran, Gates discussed efforts to fight Al–Qaeda's branch in neighbouring Yemen, blamed for attempting to blow up a US–bound airliner on Christmas Day, officials said.
Days after Iraq's elections, Gates also renewed US appeals for Saudi to step up its diplomatic engagement with Baghdad, despite the kingdom's suspicions about Iranian influence with Iraq's leading Shiite political parties.
Riyadh remained "non–committal" as it was waiting to how election results play out in Iraq, the official said.
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