ISLAMABAD -- New claims by the Bush administration that draw attention to Iran's covert nuclear program are certain to intensify security concerns surrounding the oil-rich Middle East.
In U.S. President George W. Bush's view, members of the so-called axis of evil -- Iraq, Iran and North Korea -- must be restrained in the interest of global security. But for many in the Middle East and other parts of the Islamic world, Bush's approach is likely to be seen as part of a continuing Western attack against predominantly Muslim countries.
Victims of the prolonged Palestinian conflict and their supporters still have questions about Israel's nuclear program, which obviously does not appear on Washington's security radar screen.