Saudi King describes ‘illegitimate foreign occupation’ of Iraq by U.S.
King Abdullah’s harsh — and
unexpected — attack on the U.S. military presence in Iraq could be a Saudi
attempt to signal to Washington its anger over the situation in Iraq and build
credibility among fellow Arabs.
“Singin hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle”
King Abdullah’s harsh — and unexpected — attack on the U.S. military presence in Iraq could be a Saudi attempt to signal to Washington its anger over the situation in Iraq and build credibility among fellow Arabs.
It could mean a lot of things. In any case, it caught the Bubba Brigade in the White House unprepared.
“In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war,” said Abdullah, whose country is a U.S. ally that quietly aided the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Writers in some Arab media suggested before the summit that Saudi Arabia would seek solutions that would cater to U.S. interests.
“The king’s remarks are the biggest proof that those accusations were false,” said Dawood al-Shirian, a Saudi analyst. “In the issue of Iraq, Saudi Arabia went far beyond most other Arab countries. It went beyond the details and right to the cause.”
Al-Shirian said he expected other Arab countries to follow Saudi Arabia’s lead in considering the presence of U.S. troops an illegal occupation.
“If Saudi Arabia didn’t blame the occupation, the blame would fall on the Iraqis, who are victims. How can you blame the victim?” he asked.
Well, blaming the victim is often a politician’s specialty. The Saudis may be starting to review the future of a relationship with politicians who’ve only succeeded in exacerbating tensions and hatred in the Middle East.
Posted: Fri - March 30, 2007 at 07:20 AM