Some nations wary of Mideast meeting
Warsaw event illustrates divisions among allies
WARSAW, Poland — Though absent from the stage, Iran is taking the spotlight at a Middle East security conference co-hosted by the United States and Poland that has highlighted deep divisions between the U.S. and some of its traditional allies.
Amid uncertainty over its aims and questions about what it will deliver, the conference opened late Wednesday in Warsaw with some 60 nations in attendance. Yet, in an apparent test of U.S. influence and suspicions in Europe and elsewhere over the Trump administration’s intentions in Iran, many countries aren’t sending their top diplomats and will be represented at levels lower than their invited foreign ministers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence attended along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his counterparts from numerous Arab nations. But France and Germany are not sending Cabinet-ranked officials, and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is staying away.
Russia and China aren’t participating. Iran denounced the meeting as a “circus” aimed at “demonizing” the country.
In a bid to encourage participation, Pompeo and others sought to broaden what was initially advertised as an Iran-centric meeting to include the Israeli-palestinian conflict, the fight against the Islamic State group and the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. That effort produced mixed results, particularly with longtime European allies trying to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal after last year’s U.S. withdrawal.
Pence will address the conference on a range of Middle East issues. Pompeo will talk about U.S. plans in Syria following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops, and Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and his peace partner, Jason Greenblatt, will speak about their as-yet unveiled Israeli-palestinian peace plan.
On his way to Warsaw, Netanyahu made clear the conference is centered on Iran.
“It is a conference that unites the United States, Israel, many countries in the world, many countries in the region, Arab countries, against Iran’s aggressive policy, its aggression, its desire to conquer the Middle East and destroy Israel,” he told reporters.