Omani FM Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah has accused the U.S. in comments published yesterday of delivering Iraq to al-Qaeda and called for a change of strategy. "The root of the US predicament in Iraq ... is Al Qaeda which has established itself there and now controls whole regions," Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah told the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat. "We hope that they will rethink their policy."
He denied that the growing influence in Iraq of Shiite Iran was the key concern of Gulf Arab states. "It’s not so much the expansion of Shiism that they fear as the deteriorating security inside Iraq."
Abdullah also said Oman had no plans to resume trade ties with Israel broken off after the renewed Palestinian uprising broke out six years ago. "There's no reason to reopen (our trade office) at a time when Israel is not making the slightest move towards peace and is continuing its aggression against the Palestinians," he said.
Comments