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| Bush warns of dangers from Iran | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| US President George W Bush has warned of the dangers he says are posed by Iran, in a speech in its Gulf neighbour, the United Arab Emirates. | |
| Mr Bush said Iran "threatens the security of nations everywhere", and that the US was rallying friends to confront it "before it's too late". | |
| He was giving a speech in Abu Dhabi on the latest leg of his Middle East tour. | |
| He praised the UAE for its economic and social progress, and urged other Middle Eastern nations to take up democracy. | |
| He told delegates at the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) that more open societies would foster the Middle East's immense "human capital". | |
| Earlier in Kuwait, Mr Bush said the US was still on target to withdraw some 20,000 troops out of Iraq by July. | Earlier in Kuwait, Mr Bush said the US was still on target to withdraw some 20,000 troops out of Iraq by July. |
| He said hope was returning across Iraq, with the US troop surge last year bringing greater security, but added that nothing could be taken for granted. | He said hope was returning across Iraq, with the US troop surge last year bringing greater security, but added that nothing could be taken for granted. |
| The president later travelled to Bahrain, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is based. He met some of the sailors whose ships the US says were confronted by Iranian speedboats last weekend. | The president later travelled to Bahrain, where the US Navy's Fifth Fleet is based. He met some of the sailors whose ships the US says were confronted by Iranian speedboats last weekend. |
| 'Freedom agenda' | 'Freedom agenda' |
| In Abu Dhabi, Mr Bush met the emirate's ruler, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nuhayyan. | |
| Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past - he also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them Matthew PriceBBC correspondent Middle East tour diary | Mr Bush has seemed more nuanced in his statements on this trip than he perhaps has in the past - he also seems to have a firm grip of the issues as he sees them Matthew PriceBBC correspondent Middle East tour diary |
| The president was also addressing the Middle East peace process, trying to encourage support from his Gulf Arab allies. | |
| In particular, Mr Bush is attempting to persuade them to back Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he negotiates with the Israelis. | In particular, Mr Bush is attempting to persuade them to back Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as he negotiates with the Israelis. |
| While visiting Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Thursday, he said Israel must end its occupation of some Arab land to enable the creation of a viable Palestinian state. | While visiting Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Thursday, he said Israel must end its occupation of some Arab land to enable the creation of a viable Palestinian state. |
| He also urged a solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees that would involve paying them compensation. | He also urged a solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees that would involve paying them compensation. |