Manama: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Friday that Iran's and North Korea's nuclear aspirations threaten world peace by spark ing off an arms race.
"We are all concerned about these two countries," Clinton told a gathering of local and foreign press on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.
"It is important to recognise [these concerns are] not directed at the people of either country, it is a concern about decisions made by the leaders of these two countries that put at risk the peace and stability of two regions of the world," she added.
Clinton said there is no cause for concern with regard to relations between the Gulf states and the US.
Her statements come after WikiLeaks revelations portrayed some Gulf leaders as proponents of using force against Iran.
Nigel Inkster, Director of Transnational Threats and Political Risk at the IISS, told Gulf News that "in the absence of any credible alternative it seems probable that the Gulf states will continue to rely on the US as their main security guarantor. They may, however, engage in a greater degree of hedging with Iran if they see no alternative."
Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Khalifa, who was also present at the press conference, declined to comment on the leaks. He, however, said: "Bahrain believes in every country's right to have peaceful nuclear programmes, but does not accept nuclear weapon programmes."
Both Clinton and Shaikh Khalid stressed that they did not object to peaceful nuclear programmes.
"What we object to is a pursuit of nuclear weapons that could be used to threaten and intimidate their neighbours and beyond. That is unacceptable, and it is destabilising, and it will spark arms races in both regions that will make both regions even more dangerous," Clinton said.
"The Gulf states are undoubtedly and understandably worried about Iran's growing influence and hegemonic ambitions within the region," Inkster said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday hinted that she will not run for president in 2012.
Clinton told a group of young people and activists at a meeting in Manama that she will instead resume her work on advocacy for women and children, an area where she started her volunteer work before becoming a lawyer.
"I think I'll serve as Secretary of State as my last public position, and then probably go back to advocacy work, particularly on behalf of women and children and probably around the world," Clinton said.
— Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief
Outlook: Secretary of State will not run for president
