US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has said the United States will
maintain a wide array of military forces in the Middle East to ensure
security in the region despite diplomatic overtures toward Iran over its
nuclear program. Hagel, in prepared remarks to the Manama Dialogue security forum in
Bahrain, said on Saturday that the Pentagon had no plan to adjust
its military presence or planning in the region as a result of
an interim accord on Tehran's nuclear enrichment program.
A year ago, leading German industrial companies launched the
Resource Alliance (Rohstoffallianz) for the purpose of securing the
supply of selected raw materials for its shareholders and corporate
members. To achieve this goal, it is calling for the use of military
assets. In an interview with Reuters on Monday, the manager of the Resource
Alliance, Dierk Paskert, called for “a strategically oriented foreign
economic and security policy” to ensure the supply of raw materials for
German business. Although this policy should be guided by the “objective of free and
transparent commodity markets,” Paskert said, “it would be naive to take
this for granted in the near future.” Developments had moved in
“exactly the opposite direction, unfortunately.” Therefore, Paskert
concluded, “we [Germany], together with our partners in the EU and NATO,
must take on more responsibility in foreign economic and security
matters.”
