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A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 February 2019
Absent Iran takes center stage at Mideast talks in Poland

By MATTHEW LEE conflict in Yemen, accord-
Associated Press ing to diplomats familiar
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — with the planning.
Although it is absent from Analysts and former offi-
the stage, Iran is neverthe- cials associated with the
less taking the spotlight at Obama administration that
a Middle East security con- forged the nuclear deal as
ference co-hosted by the a signature foreign policy
United States and Poland achievement questioned
that has highlighted deep the value of the confer-
divisions between the U.S. ence, particularly the signs
and some of its traditional of disunity it will present.
allies. "The result of this confer-
Amid uncertainty over its ence ideally would be a
aims and questions about demonstration of Iranian
what it will deliver, the isolation and unity amongst
conference opens late American allies in Europe
Wednesday in Warsaw with and the Middle East," said
some 60 nations in atten- William Wechsler, senior
dance. Yet, in an apparent adviser for Middle East
test of U.S. influence and programs at the Atlantic
suspicions in Europe and Council in Washington.
elsewhere over the Trump United States Vice President Mike Pence, Poland's President Andrzej Duda, Israeli Prime Minister "It's another example of
administration's intentions in Benjamin Netanyahu and United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, pose for a group photo what we've seen of coun-
Iran, many countries aren't at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. tries in Europe demonstrat-
sending their top diplomats Associated Press ing — sometimes subtly and
and will be represented at sometimes not — their dif-
levels lower than their invit- crete actions that might we see Palestinians increas- specific outcomes. ferences with the American
ed foreign ministers. result beyond creating ingly left behind/more iso- Polish Foreign Minister administration," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ben- "follow-on working groups" lated than ever." Jacek Czaputowicz, the "If at the end of the day it
jamin Netanyahu and U.S. on a variety of common On his way to Warsaw Ne- conference co-host, also looks like America is being
Vice President Mike Pence concerns like terrorism tanyahu made clear the steered clear of describ- isolated from its partners,
attended along with Secre- and cybersecurity, com- conference is centered on ing potential results. And, then it's not as successful as
tary of State Mike Pompeo ments from several partici- Iran. even he could not paper you want it to be."
and his counterparts from pants belied the underlying "It is a conference that over the differences be- And Ned Price, President
numerous Arab nations. theme: countering Iran. unites the United States, Is- tween the U.S. and Europe, Barack Obama's former
But France and Germany Pence will address the rael, many countries in the including Poland, over the national security spokes-
are not sending Cabinet- conference on a range of world, many countries in Iran nuclear deal. man, said European na-
ranked officials, and Euro- Middle East issues, Pompeo the region, Arab countries, "We consider this to be a tions downgraded their
pean Union foreign policy will talk about U.S. plans in against Iran's aggressive valuable element on the delegations because they
chief Federica Mogherini is Syria following President policy, its aggression, its de- international arena," Cza- believed the Trump admin-
staying away. Donald Trump's decision to sire to conquer the Middle putowicz told a joint news istration was going to use
Russia and China aren't withdraw U.S. troops and East and destroy Israel," he conference with Pompeo the summit as an "anti-Iran
participating, and the Pal- Trump's senior adviser and told reporters. on the eve of the confer- pep rally."
estinians, who have called son-in-law Jared Kushner Netanyahu sent out a bel- ence. "Time and again, this ad-
for the meeting to be boy- and his peace partner, Ja- ligerent rallying cry to his In a joint opinion piece pub- ministration had found itself
cotted, also will be absent. son Greenblatt, will speak Arab partners, saying he lished Wednesday by CNN, drunk on its own Kool-Aid,
Iran, which is this week cel- about their as-yet unveiled planned to focus on the Pompeo and Czaputowicz isolated from our friends,
ebrating the 40th anniver- Israeli-Palestinian peace "common interest" of con- said they didn't expect all and belatedly forced to
sary of its Islamic Revolu- plan. fronting Iran. He made participants to agree on scramble to save face,"
tion, denounced the meet- Greenblatt, whose portfo- the comments during an policies or outcomes but Price said, adding that not
ing as a "circus" aimed at lio extends only the Israeli- off-the-cuff interview with called for an airing of un- a single country in the EU
"demonizing" it. Palestinian peace effort, reporters on a Warsaw scripted and candid ideas. endorsed Trump's pullout
In a bid to encourage said Iran is the top priority street, shortly after meeting "We expect each nation from the Iran nuclear deal.
better participation, Pom- and derided the Palestin- Oman's foreign minister. to express opinions that re- The Trump administration
peo and others sought to ians for their boycott and Although Netanyahu used flect its own interests," they has repeatedly denied al-
broaden what was initially insistence that their case is the Hebrew word "mil- wrote. "Disagreements in legations that it is seeking
advertised as an Iran-cen- the region's most important chama," or "war," in his one area should not pro- regime change in Iran. And
tric meeting to include the issue. comments, his office later hibit unity in others." yet, mixed messages con-
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, In a series of tweets on changed its official transla- In fact, three of Washing- tinue to come from Wash-
the fight against the Islamic Wednesday, Greenblatt tion and said he was refer- ton's main European allies, ington.
State group, and the con- said the Palestinian posi- ring to a "common interest Britain, France and Germa- Earlier this week, Trump's
flicts in Syria and Yemen. tion "impedes nations from of combatting Iran." ny, have unveiled a new national security adviser
That effort produced only countering the common Pompeo has predicted that financial mechanism that John Bolton released a
mixed results, particularly enemy of Iran." the conference will "de- the Trump administration short video on the anniver-
with longtime European al- "Iran is the primary threat liver really good outcomes" believes may be designed sary of the Iranian revolu-
lies who are trying to save to the future of regional and has played down the to evade U.S. sanctions on tion in which he called Iran
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal peace/security," he said. impact of lower-level par- Iran. British Foreign Secre- "the central banker of inter-
after last year's U.S. with- "That's what Palestinian ticipation. "We think we will tary Jeremy Hunt is attend- national terrorism" and ac-
drawal. leaders don't grasp; as a make real progress," Pom- ing the Warsaw confer- cused it of pursuing nuclear
And, while the agenda consequence of being de- peo said. He didn't, howev- ence, but his main interest weapons and missiles to
gives no hint of any con- tached from new realities, er, offer any details about is in a side meeting on the deliver them. q