US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said
that the US has developed relations between Israel and Arab countries,
against the threat of Iran.
Speaking in an interview with US channel NewsMax TV on Thursday, Pompeo
said that “we [the US] made connections between [Israel and Arab
countries] to form a coalition in the Middle East that will preserve US
security”.
He added: “The former US administration had decided to adopt the first
supporter of terrorism in the Middle East, Iran, as its partner in the
region, and we completely changed it. We know that this poses a real
threat to America and the whole world.” When asked about potential
“peace” in the Middle East, Pompeo said:
We have created conditions in the Middle East where these countries
work together on many fronts. I have seen the president’s [Donald
Trump’s] declaration of withdrawal from Syria. We can still, together
with our partners, confront the threat of [Daesh] in the region
effectively. We have not changed our policy, but we will do so in a
smarter and better way, and we can do so thanks to the coalitions built
by President Trump.
Pompeo’s comments came just hours after a statement by Sudanese
President Omar Al-Bashir, in which he claimed Sudan had received advice
to “normalise with Israel” so as to bring reform to the country. “We are
advised to normalise relations with Israel to resolve our problems, but
we say that livelihood is in God’s hands and not by anyone,” Al-Bashir
stated in a meeting with Sufi leaders, without further explaining who
gave him this advice.
Pompeo confirmed US President Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops
from Syria, while referring to the American plan to continue confronting
Iran. He stressed that Trump’s decision on the withdrawal of troops
from Syria is clear, adding that “our [US] soldiers will get out of
there”. Pompeo avoided giving a specific timetable for withdrawal,
saying only: “I do not want our enemies to know when we will leave
exactly.”
During the interview, Pompeo addressed a message to Turkey, where he
stressed “the need to ensure that Kurds are not killed by the Turks and
to protect religious minorities in Syria. All these things are still
part of the vision set by the United States”.
Asked whether the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a
“trustworthy partner,” Pompeo said that there are many issues that
should be worked out with Turkey. Pompeo pointed out that Turkey is an
ally in NATO and provides great support on matters of interest to the
United States, but that there are still some issues of concern. Pompeo
added that US national security adviser John Bolton and Washington’s
envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, will visit Turkey next week.
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