Posted on 03/29/2007 8:54:27 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - 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.
The kingdom has taken an aggressive leadership role to quiet Mideast troubles, and wanted to show other Arabs it was willing to put their interests above its close ties to the United States.
The White House, in a rare public retort Thursday, rejected the king's characterization of U.S. troops in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation," saying the United States was not in Iraq illegally.
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people."
"We disagree with them," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told senators. "We were a little surprised to see those remarks."
The king made his remarks Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day Arab summit his country hosted in Riyadh. It was believed to be the first time the king publicly expressed that opinion.
"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.
A Saudi official said the king was speaking as the president of the summit and his remarks reflected general frustration with the "patchwork" job the Americans were doing to end violence in Iraq.
The king also wanted to send a message that Iraq is an issue that Arabs cannot turn their back on, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
It was not clear what kind of diplomatic fallout could result — but the comments did nothing to help bring Arab nations closer to the government of Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.
The summit has taken a tough line on Iraq, demanding it change its constitution and military to include more Sunnis and end a program of uprooting former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
The Sunni-led governments of the Arab world have long been suspicious of Iraq's Shiite leadership, blaming it for fueling violence by discriminating against Sunni Arabs and accusing it of helping mainly Shiite Iran extend its influence in the region.
Abdullah's remarks came at a time when the kingdom is taking a more public role in efforts to defuse crises threatening to engulf the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia sponsored a reconciliation accord between Palestinian factions, has engaged Iran about its nuclear program, and has tried to settle simmering tensions in Lebanon. And the kingdom has been talking to various factions in 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 take 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.
The U.S. called its presence in Iraq an occupation until the June 2004 handover of sovereignty to the Iraqis. U.S. troops remained in Iraq with permission from the Iraqi government and a mandate from the United Nations.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal stood by the king's remarks Thursday — and his defense had hints of the Arab nation's attitude that the Shiite-led government doesn't have the legitimacy to approve the U.S. presence.
"If that country had chosen to have those troops, then it's something else. But any military action that is not requested by a specific country — that is the definition of occupation," al-Faisal told reporters.
____
Donna Abu Nasr reported from Beirut, Lebanon.
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz addresses the closing session of the Arab Summit in Riyadh. The White House said Thursday that the US occupation of Iraq is "certainly not" illegitimate, hitting back at the King's rhetorical attack on the US military presence in a speech this week.(AFP/Hassan Ammar)
Hooray White House! Checkmate the king-pawn of Islam.
Interesting the King makes his first remarks of this nature at the time of the Iranian standoff with the Brits over the abducted sailors.
Over 11,000 US Visas Issued to Saudi Students Last Year-Someone at embassy is doing things right
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1801794/posts
Sucking up to the Iranians. Don't worry, that crocodile would eat them if it could.
We're killing the saudi infiltrators sent by the SA government, and they're getting pissed about it. LOL
Gen. Petraeus has got this heading in the right direction.
James Baker is deeply saddened.
Of all the baseless tripe we get this annoys me the most. ""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. " It is their country. They are the ones who let it get screwed up. We woud all rather be playing golf.
In the final analysis, and the final fight --- the Muslims will all unite against the non-Muslim...
That is the ONLY thing they can be trusted to do.
They are religiously bound to the defeat, conversion or destruction of all Non Muslims...
Every "devout" or "pious" Muslim is by definition - an enemy to all non Muslims.
To think otherwise, is to refuse History.
Semper Fi
The real illegitimate occupation is the dog house of Saud in the holy lands of Islam.
When will the US and the rest of the world admit that the oil money flowing into the hands of the crazed Wahhabis is the cause of a lot of the world's problems?
The house of Saud should be driven from the Muslim holy lands and the money given to the poor people of the earth.
Saudi delendum est.
Interesting and not accidental.
Surprised? Why?
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