Bahrain's alliance with US hailed

Manama: President George W. Bush on Saturday became the first sitting US president to visit Bahrain, home to the US Navy Fifth Fleet since 1947.

He was welcomed at the airport by King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa who has hailed the visit as "an outstanding opportunity to bolster bilateral relations and to reinforce security, peace and stability in both the Gulf and the Middle East".

In remarks upon his arrival, Bush said he was "really honoured to be the first US sitting president to visit Bahrain" and lauded the alliance between the two countries, saying that it helped them "share the burdens and risks of maintaining security, as well as defending freedom throughout the region".

The US leader praised King Hamad for being "on the forefront of providing hope for people through democracy", and for "showing strong leadership, and showing the way forward for other nations".

But while the stalled Middle East process topped Bush's agenda in Israel and Ramallah, Iran, and what he perceives as its threats, remain the focus of his talks and the subject of his fierce criticism throughout his five-day swing in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, he is visiting in his unprecedented itinerary.

Bush, hampered by the formidable US intelligence findings that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons development in 2003, is working on convincing his Gulf hosts that the United States remains committed to preventing Iran from undermining stability and eroding security in the region.

US ambassador in Manama Joseph Adam Ereli told Bahrain television that no new weapons sale to Bahrain would be discussed during the visit.