The Shiite Crescent Curves South

Post written by Dr. Raymond Tanter - President of Iran Policy Committee, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and an adjunct professor of political science at Georgetown University.

"Iran’s Threat to Arab Gulf States, Iraq, and the Iranian Opposition in Iraq"

As a “Shiite Crescent” bends in a southward direction, the Islamic Republic of Iran is becoming an increasing threat to Arab Gulf States, Iraq, and Iranian dissidents in Iraq. During 2004, His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan warned of formation of a Shiite Crescent—Iranian influence that would dominant Shiite movements and governments stretching from Iran into Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, stating that, “Even Saudi Arabia is not immune from this.”

Regarding the nuclear threat to the Arab Gulf, the unauthorized release of some quarter of a million diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks on 29 November 2010 provides the American view of how Arab leaders perceive the Iranian threat to the Gulf. Paragraph 10 of a Secret State Department cable describes a 14-15 April 2008 discussion between Saudi Royals, on one hand, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus, incoming head of coalition forces in Iraq, on the other hand. At the meeting, Saudi Ambassador to Washington Al-Jubeir recalled [Saudi King Abdullah’s] frequent exhortations to the U.S. Government “to attack Iran and so put an end to its nuclear weapons program.” There is convergence of the classified narrative of April 2008 with the public record. UAE Ambassador to Washington Yousef al-Otaiba publicly endorsed the use of the military option for countering Iran’s nuclear program.

http://www.thereviewme.com/2010/11/raymond-tanter-the-shiite-crescent-curves-south/