'Boycott on Palestinians Lifted'                [Guardian Unlimited, U.K.]

Arab Times, Kuwait

Teheran Takes its Battle to America's Friends and Allies

"This is part of a strategy adopted by the Iranian regime to expand the conflict zone by accusing others of being Washington's agents."

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Editor-in-Chief, Arab Times

June 20, 2007

Kuwait - Arab Times - Original Article (English)

THE attack on a Kuwaiti diplomat in Tehran, and the four-hour encirclement of Kuwait's Embassy in Baghdad by the Revolutionary Guard are definite signs that Tehran has now taken its battle to friends of the United States, and that it intends to turn every Arab nation into a battlefield like Iraq, Lebanon or Palestine. This dangerous act was only the beginning, and is part of a strategy adopted by the Iranian regime to attack American projects in the Gulf region and expand the conflict zone by accusing others of being Washington's agents. Previously, Iran had threatened to attack American projects in the Gulf if the United States attacked Iran. These threats are an attempt to impose Persian interests on Arabs, who are now acutely vulnerable.

[Editor's Note: Kuwaiti diplomat Mohammad al-Zubi [see photo, right] was physically assaulted in Tehran, it was reported June 20. Al-Zubi was stopped by two cars outside the Kuwaiti Embassy and assaulted by six men, while Iranian Guard soldiers stationed at the embassy reportedly did nothing].

Iran appears to be so active outside its borders, that it has succeeded in dividing Iraq into tiny portions, is in control of Syrian planning and decision-making, is now threatening to turn Lebanon into another Iraq and has just succeeded in ending the Palestinian dream of establishing a homeland.

Now the Palestinian Authority is looked on as an American agent and the Hamas movement has taken over the Gaza Strip. Given what we know of the Iranian Regime's ideology, one cannot separate the attack on the Kuwaiti diplomat from the regime's attempts to involve all Gulf countries in Iran's dispute with America.

And since Tehran regards the Gulf States as American agents, the regime reserves the right to fight against us. The Arab nations must take a firm stand to stop this Iranian behavior, before all of our nations are turned into battlefields in the settling of accounts amongst Iran, the United States and the West.

The Arabs are with the international community in wanting to curtail Iranian ambitions. Arabs sense that they are being invaded. Some Arab countries are already at the mercy of Tehran, which in full control of their future and their fate. And as Tehran displays all of this aggressiveness, it is at the doorstep of acquiring a nuclear bomb. One wonders how Tehran will behave when it actually possesses a bomb.

The world isn't buying Iran’s accusation that America plans to control its natural resources. Such propaganda is insufficient to explain Iran’s interference in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. But regardless of its explanations, we must treat the Iranian regime with extreme caution. But ignoring or downplaying the attack on our diplomat in Tehran will not dispel the danger left in its wake … this is a serious matter.

What happened to our Embassy in Tehran could happen to embassies of any Gulf State. Perhaps this is why the international community is determined to put the Iranian nuclear program under close supervision and monitoring to ensure that it is used for peaceful purposes.

The Iranian regime will be unable to hide its domestic failures by creating "outside" disturbances to distract Iranians and focus their attention on things that don't concern them. When the regime finds itself under the anticipated military attack, this game will be over.

e-mail: ahmedjarallah@hotmail.com