Word: gulf
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...enameled clocks and candlesticks in the long hallways. Enormous, overstuffed sofas squat on a collection of rare antique carpets in room after empty room. Behind the palace, two speedboats and a large yacht protected behind the Emir's man-made harbor obscure the otherwise lovely view of the Persian Gulf...
...Pentagon video showed it clearly: Iranian speedboats buzzing dangerously close to three U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway at the base of the Persian Gulf, on Jan. 6. A foreign voice called over the radio, "You will explode in a few minutes"--chilling words for those who remembered the small-boat attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 in 2000. Then, before the warships could fire, the boats turned away...
...high-profile pushback? Diplomatic necessity. Bush was to embark on Jan. 8 for an eight-day Middle East trip, in part to persuade his gulf allies to unite against Iran. Their leaders (all Sunnis) are wary of (Shi'ite) Iran's growing power but have been reluctant to side with U.S. calls for a new U.N. resolution. Last year's U.S. intelligence report, which downplayed the Iranian nuclear threat, did little to help U.S. credibility on the issue. So even a brief act of aggression by Iran became welcome evidence for the U.S. case. Skeptics say Washington sees...
...Cedar Revolution against domestic as well as foreign opponents. Bush won't have time for a stop off in Beirut, however. It could have been a powerfully symbolic show of support for Arab democrats; but Bush will be too busy after departing Israel meeting with oil sheikhs in the Gulf countries...
...Confronting Iran. The Arabs are afraid of Iran, especially the Saudis and the emirs who rule the small oil-rich states situated just across the Gulf from the Persian giant. They are inclined to agree with Bush's worries about Iran's nuclear intentions. But they are even more concerned about another U.S. war in the Gulf - this time against Iran, to wipe out its nuclear program. That could bring a swift backlash, either through direct Iranian military retaliation against Washington's regional allies, or in the form of fomenting long-term political unrest and terrorism among Shi'ite minorities...