Bahrain's premier confers with former US president

Bahraini Prime Minister Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa on Monday in Manama discussed with former US President George Bush regional and international issues, the Middle East peace process and issues of mutual concern.

The Gulf News Agency said Bush is currently visiting Bahrain on top of a US delegation to take part in a conference to prepare for changes in the third millennium which started deliberations earlier in the day.

Bush stated at the conference that the U.S. cannot allow the Gulf region to slip into a circle of extremism and violence, adding that US policy's interests in the area has reasons that exceeds petroleum.

He said that if he had entered the Iraqi lands and toppled President Saddam Hussein during his leadership of the international alliance to drive the Iraqi forces out from Kuwait in 1991, he would have exceeded the Security Council, and peace would not started in Madrid and Saddam would have been turned into a hero.

He added, "We acted the best way and we stopped at the proper point in the Gulf War."

He added, laughing, "Here I am and I find myself jobless while Saddam remains Iraq's ruler."

Bush expressed his deep belief that, "Saddam's real goal of invading Kuwait is crawling toward Saudi Arabia and dominating the petroleum resources."

He also stated that the world "is living now a new age based on cooperation and Cold War has become a remainder of the past."