Iraq decries Riyadh's 'negative positions'
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al Maliki, has taken a swipe at Saudi Arabia's 'negative positions' towards his country.
Comparing recognition from other neighbors of Iraq, including Iran, with continued Saudi rejections, Maliki said in a statement on Thursday, “We succeeded in opening ourselves to many countries, but Saudi has negative positions.”
Iraq, which has a Shia majority, for the first time elected a Shia-led government in 2005, headed by Maliki's Dawaa Party, and Saudi Arabia, which presumes itself as the representative of the Sunni Islam, has snubbed Iraqi overtures for recognition and better relations.
“We rushed to create not just a normal but positive relation [with Saudi Arabia], but the initiative was mistakenly understood as a weakness.”
Saudi Arabia remains the prime source for foreign volunteers traveling to Iraq to engage in sectarian anti-Shia violence.
Maliki has distanced himself from sectarianism and reached out to minority Sunni Arabs in forming his government.
Nevertheless Saudis are also said to be suspicious of Maliki over its close ties with Iran.
Still, Maliki says that his government remains open, and hopeful, for better relations with the Saudis. “We continue to be ready for any Saudi initiative but we have used up initiatives from our side and it would be useless to repeat them unless Saudi has a clear intention to [improve] these relations,” Maliki said.
The US government has called on Iraq's neighbors to extend diplomatic recognition and better ties with Iraq. But, these calls have been mostly ignored, especially by Saudi Arabia, an otherwise steadfast US ally.
In contrast, Iran was the first of Iraq's neighbors to exchange ambassadors with the war-ravaged country.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan backed the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during his eight-year war against Iran in the 1980's.
The Saudis are demanding the return of some $40 billion that Riyadh had loaned to Saddam Hussein to finance his war against Iran, although they have suggested readiness to write off 80 percent of it. Iraq disputes the amount, claiming that it owes only $15 billion.
Comparing recognition from other neighbors of Iraq, including Iran, with continued Saudi rejections, Maliki said in a statement on Thursday, “We succeeded in opening ourselves to many countries, but Saudi has negative positions.”
Iraq, which has a Shia majority, for the first time elected a Shia-led government in 2005, headed by Maliki's Dawaa Party, and Saudi Arabia, which presumes itself as the representative of the Sunni Islam, has snubbed Iraqi overtures for recognition and better relations.
“We rushed to create not just a normal but positive relation [with Saudi Arabia], but the initiative was mistakenly understood as a weakness.”
Saudi Arabia remains the prime source for foreign volunteers traveling to Iraq to engage in sectarian anti-Shia violence.
Maliki has distanced himself from sectarianism and reached out to minority Sunni Arabs in forming his government.
Nevertheless Saudis are also said to be suspicious of Maliki over its close ties with Iran.
Still, Maliki says that his government remains open, and hopeful, for better relations with the Saudis. “We continue to be ready for any Saudi initiative but we have used up initiatives from our side and it would be useless to repeat them unless Saudi has a clear intention to [improve] these relations,” Maliki said.
The US government has called on Iraq's neighbors to extend diplomatic recognition and better ties with Iraq. But, these calls have been mostly ignored, especially by Saudi Arabia, an otherwise steadfast US ally.
In contrast, Iran was the first of Iraq's neighbors to exchange ambassadors with the war-ravaged country.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan backed the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during his eight-year war against Iran in the 1980's.
The Saudis are demanding the return of some $40 billion that Riyadh had loaned to Saddam Hussein to finance his war against Iran, although they have suggested readiness to write off 80 percent of it. Iraq disputes the amount, claiming that it owes only $15 billion.
posted by Ahmad at
5:57 PM
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