London, UK, January 13 2007 – In a speech today in Abu Dhabi, President Bush accused Iran of being the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism. He said that, "Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. So the United States is strengthening our longstanding security commitments with our friends in the Gulf and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late."

Commenting on this, Dr Imran Waheed, media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "Bush conceals his bankrupt agenda of more occupation, more support for dictators, more pillaging of resources and more civilian deaths by scaremongering about Iran and trying to fuel sectarianism in the region. While Bush claimed that the ‘US has no desire for territory’ it is clear that the US is committed to a long term military presence in the region. He attacks Iran for interfering in Iraq and Lebanon while singing the praises of US political, economic and military interference in the Middle East that is directly responsible for the downward spiral of violence and instability."

"Regardless of the century or decade, Western leaders have found some pretext to occupy the Middle East, whether it be to attack the Ottoman Caliphate, enhance commerce, act against the nationalisation of oil, deal with proxy leaders which have fallen out of favour or counter ‘weapons of mass destruction’. The scaremongering about Iran and the sectarian conflict in Iraq, whipped up by the occupation, is the latest pretext for occupying the Middle East in order to support dictatorships, control the strategic assets of the region, secure interests and prevent an independent leadership from emerging."
 

"For all Bush’s preaching about freedom and democracy and despite the brutal occupation of the Middle East, the momentum for the return of an independent leadership – the Caliphate – is gathering pace. It will end the era of Western backed dictators and foreign occupation, unify the lands and resources of the region and ensure that the assets of the region benefit its people rather than corporate elites. It goes without saying that the days of red carpets and fanfares for war criminals like Bush will then be over."

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