 More US troops and another aircraft carrier are going to the region
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As Washington issues a strong new warning to Iran to stop helping insurgents in Iraq, Iranian papers continue to voice defiance against mounting US "threats".
In the wider Middle East, there is concern that tensions are building and the stage is being set for a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. IRAN'S HAMSHAHRI
Military threats against Iran have a long history and are not something new. We believe that America, currently involved in hefty problems in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan, is not in a position to attack Iran. However, we have to notice that to hide a crisis, the Republicans usually try to create bigger crises. IRAN'S KEYHAN
As far as internal stability is concerned, Iran is so powerful that it can respond to any foreign threats and defend itself. Iran is so powerful now that it has made all American rulers confused. IRAN'S RESALAT
America's failure in realising its pre-planned projects in the Middle East has made the White House start a series of radical actions in the region that can lead to drastic changes in the Middle East... Undoubtedly the Middle East is pregnant with critical events and any tiny accident can endanger the benefits to all regional players and the occurrence of regional or world war is not so far-fetched, although regional countries don't welcome it. EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH
To avoid admitting defeat [in Iraq], Bush has decided to set the stage for a new adventure by heading to Iran after he had discovered that his destruction of Iraq has made US interests in the [Persian] Gulf vulnerable. MAZIN HAMMAD IN QATAR'S AL-WATAN
In spite of the demand of George Bush for additional forces to send to Iraq, the political line weaved by Washington between Baghdad and Tehran frightens many sides, which believe that Bush's only escape from the Iraqi dilemma is to create an Iranian dilemma and tying the two dilemmas with this line. ABD-AL-BARI ATWAN IN LONDON-BASED AL-QUDS AL-ARABI
The US administration wants to wipe out two Arab resistance organisations, that is Hamas and Hezbollah, before starting an all-out war against Iran. It wants to do this under the cover of moderate Arab states and with Israel's full participation. JAWAD AL-BASHITI IN PALESTINIAN AL-AYYAM
The new US forces sent to Baghdad might be helpful in giving a pretext for attacking Iran. Prior to this blow and as a justification for it, the US needs scattered and small-size military actions against Iranians in the Iraqi capital and in the rest of Iraq. For the Bush administration, this will be the best excuse to hit Iran. LONDON-BASED AL-ARAB AL-ALAMIYAH
It is clear that the Bush administration is preventing attempts for a settlement in the region, and is using all its energy and cards to support its ally Israel. ABD AL-MAJID SWAYLIM IN PALESTINIAN AL-AYYAM
The US is preparing to hit all the religious sects, symbols and forces capable of resisting its project. The Shia are also part of this. BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad. |
