KUWAIT CITY (AFP) — US President George W. Bush met Kuwait's emir on Friday after arriving in the emirate to start a Gulf tour aimed at rallying the support of Arab allies against what he calls the Iranian "threat."
Bush flew into Kuwait from Israel after his first presidential trip to the Holy Land, where he said he believed a Middle East peace treaty would be signed within a year and called on Arab nations to reach out to the Jewish state.
His tour of Washington's closest friends in the oil-rich Gulf region comes amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran over a naval confrontation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
But several commentators in the region have voiced strong misgivings about his intentions, amid fears Washington could resort to military action to halt Iran's disputed nuclear drive.
Although Kuwait is welcoming Bush as a friend, officials have said the emirate will not allow the United States to use its territory as a launchpad for any strike against Iran.
"Mr President, the region needs smart initiatives not smart bombs," the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai said in a front-page editorial.
more at link:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIUhDaYDpqquF42z2xuGF-oNp32AHis claims of a peace visit nothing more than picking teams, prodding and goading for more War.