Reports: White house angry with Saudi support for Iraqi opposition

Above: Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Saudi King Abdullah meeting in Riyadh in February. Though Saudi official reports focused on ending regional sectarian strife, Iran's official reports quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that "Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are aware of the enemies' conspiracies, and while condemning these conspiracies, we invite all Muslims to be aware of the enemies' plans with wisdom," and further, "About the Palestinian and Iraqi issues, we had discussions in detail. In many cases, we had a common point of view. Both countries oppose the enemies' control over the Islamic region."

Saudis’ Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials

During a high-level meeting in Riyadh in January, Saudi officials confronted a top American envoy with documents that seemed to suggest that Iraq’s prime minister could not be trusted...

Bush administration officials are voicing increasing anger at what they say has been Saudi Arabia’s counterproductive role in the Iraq war. They say that beyond regarding Mr. Maliki as an Iranian agent, the Saudis have offered financial support to Sunni groups in Iraq. Of an estimated 60 to 80 foreign fighters who enter Iraq each month, American military and intelligence officials say that nearly half are coming from Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis have not done enough to stem the flow.

One senior administration official says he has seen evidence that Saudi Arabia is providing financial support to opponents of Mr. Maliki. He declined to say whether that support was going to Sunni insurgents because, he said, “That would get into disagreements over who is an insurgent and who is not.”

Read the rest at the NY Times

White House warns Saudis over machinations in Iraq

The extent of the deterioration in US-Saudi relations was exposed for the first time today when Washington accused Riyadh of working to undermine the Iraqi government.
The Bush administration sent a warning to Saudi Arabia, until this year one of its closest allies, to stop undermining the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki.

The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and the defence secretary, Robert Gates, are scheduled to visit Jeddah next week. A diplomat in Washington said of the two governments: "There is a lot of bad blood between the two"...

Relations have been strained since King Abdullah, in a speech earlier this year, unexpectedly criticised the US, describing the Iraq invasion as "an illegal foreign occupation."

That was the first sign of a rift between the two who have enjoyed a solid relationship for decades, based on Saudi's vast oil reserves.

Read the rest at the Guardian

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