Iran: US military buildup aimed to cause panic

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117692§ionid=351020101


As the US moves to strengthen its military foothold in the Persian Gulf, an Iranian lawmaker says Washington is using the 'fear factor' to turn regional countries against Iran.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Tuesday, the Rapporteur of the Parliament (Majlis) Committee of National Security and Foreign Policy Kazem Jalali said the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf is a far cry from the 'change' once promised by Barack Obama.

“When US President Obama vowed to bring change to Washington, we took his word for it and supported his cause as long as the so-called changes were in practice, not rhetorical,” said Jalali.

“But now that a year has passed from his inauguration, we have yet to see any significant changes in US policies,” noted the Iranian lawmaker. “The deployment of US warships and anti-missile systems does not chime with the oft-stated pledges of change.”

Jalali said this is either because Obama failed to bring the desired changes, or that the US power structure does not allow the president to make far-reaching political reforms.

“Either way, we believe that the US is trying to create a sense of regional fear and terror against Iran,” said the Iranian parliamentarian.

“They seek to demonize our scientific achievements, particularly those in nuclear technology and missile development, and represent our intentions as a threat to the regional stability,” he added.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Washington will further increase its military presence off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf -- allegedly to soup up its defense against possible Iranian missile attacks.

Also, US military officials told AP on condition of anonymity that Washington has taken silent steps to increase the capability of land-based Patriot missiles on the territory of some of its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf region.

Patriot missile systems were originally deployed to the Persian Gulf region to target aircrafts and shoot down missiles before they reach their targets.