CAIRO, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Arab diplomats say U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will seek Arab endorsement for President George W. Bush's new strategy in Iraq in talks next week.
Diplomats in Cairo, who spoke to United Press International on condition of anonymity, said Rice is expected to press the six Arab Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt to cooperate with Washington in achieving the objectives laid out by Bush in a speech Wednesday.
The top U.S. diplomat is due to meet her counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, in Kuwait next week.
One diplomat told UPI that Rice's consultations will likely be closer to "warnings" to these U.S.-allied nations that unless they support the new strategy, Washington will resort to military force against Syria and Iran if all diplomatic efforts fail to persuade the two countries to cooperate in restoring security and stability in Iraq.
Another Arab diplomat said Rice will push the "six plus two moderate countries" to cooperate in ending "foreign intervention" in Iraqi affairs, controlling the Iraqi borders from infiltrating fighters and to work seriously towards encouraging the Arab Sunnis to join the Iraqi political process.
In his new strategy speech, Bush said his administration will use its "full diplomatic resources" to rally support for Iraq from countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. He added these countries "need to understand that than an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists -- and a strategic threat to their survival."
Bush said such Arab nations must step up their support for the Iraqi government because they "have a stake in a successful Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors."
