Iraq: Now Saudi King Seems Fed Up
In the recent past the US policy in Iraq has begun to test the patience of not only Republicans and Democrats at home but also America’s most trusted and long-time allies abroad.
Saudi Arabian King’s statement that the American occupation of Iraq was illegal, and his warning that unless Arab governments settled their differences, foreign powers like the United States would continue to dictate the region’s politics, has caused a flutter.
Although the U. S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns played down this unusually strong statement from the polite and diplomatic Saudi King by saying: “Obviously, we will seek clarification. You never know. It could have been interpretation. It could have been misreported.”
Meanwhile, in another development, the Israeli Prime Minister today described an Arab plan to make peace with the Jewish State as ‘revolutionary’ and said the region could sign a final deal within five years, says The Times.
“Ehud Olmert made his remarks in a series of newspaper interviews this morning, after leaders of the 22 Arab countries gave their unanimous backing to a plan which would commit them to developing diplomatic relations with Israel if it first agreed to a ‘land-for-peace’ deal with the Palestinians.
“The Arab leaders’ plan – originally drawn up by Saudi Arabia in 2002 – would see the concept of a Palestinian state founded in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip with Jerusalem as its capital.
“Only two states, Egypt and Jordan, currently have full diplomatic relations with Israel after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994, so the latest pledge for full diplomatic normalisation – which includes the hawkish Syrian regime – is regarded as hugely significant…”
