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Obama: US Commitment to Gulf States 'Ironclad'

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President Barack Obama pledged a new era of cooperation between the United States and its Arab allies.

At the close of the summit, held at Camp David, Maryland, the president said he assured our Mideast allies the United States would help protect them against possible future attacks.

"I am reaffirming our ironclad commitment to the security of our Gulf partners," he told reporters. "As we have declared in our joint statement, the United States is prepared to work jointly with Gulf Cooperation Council member states to deter and confront an external threat to any GCC state's territorial integrity."

The president said that includes joint military training and a speedy transfer of arms and missile defense systems.

Arab states have been skeptical of the president's nuclear deal with Iran so he tried to assure them that a nuclear agreement with Iran would not leave the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council more vulnerable.

"What I did hear from our GCC partners was their agreement that if we can get a comprehensive, verifiable deal that cuts off the pathways to a nuclear weapon, that that would be in their interests and the interests of the region, as well as the world community," Obama said.

But critics questioned the president's statement, saying it didn't do enough to really assure the Arab states the United States would be there to help them.

The president also said he's working with international partners to investigate if Syrian President Bashar Assad's government is dropping chlorine bombs.

"If we have the kinds of confirmation that we need, we will once again work with the international community and the organization charged with monitoring compliance by the Syrian government, and we will reach out to patrons of Assad, like Russia, to put a stop to it," he said.

Chlorine isn't an internationally banned chemical agent, but its use as a weapon of war is prohibited.

The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. The United States and other world powers hope to clinch a final nuclear deal with Iran by the end of June.

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About The Author

Lorie Johnson
Lorie
Johnson

As CBN’s Senior Medical Reporter, Lorie Johnson reports on the latest information about medicine and wellness. Her goal is to provide information that will inspire people to make healthy choices. She joined CBN in 2008 and has interviewed some of the world's leading doctors and researchers from The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and more. She kept viewers up to date throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with regular appearances onThe 700 Club, Faith Nation, and Newswatch. She has reported on many ground-breaking medical advancements, including the four-part series, Build a