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Saudi Arabia sceptical over Bush plan for Iraq

Atul Aneja

Riyadh wants regional initiative for peace

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DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has expressed scepticism about U.S. plans to bolster Iraq's Shia-dominated Government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in order to restore stability in the strife-torn country.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal has welcomed the goals of Washington's new strategy on Iraq. However, he appeared to express reservations about its implementation. "We agree with the full objectives set by the new plan," Prince Saud said at a joint news conference in Riyadh with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But, he added, "We are hoping these objectives can be accomplished, but the means are not in our hands. They are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves."

U.S. President George Bush has announced that he intended to send 21,000 additional troops to Iraq, apparently to beef up security in Baghdad and the troubled Sunni-dominated Anbar province. Saudi Arabia is a regional heavyweight, which has assumed a leading role in protecting Sunni interests in the region. Analysts point out that Riyadh has been alarmed by the growing Iranian influence among Iraqi Shias and its proximity to the Maliki Government. "There is now active coordination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to counter Iranian forays in Iraq," Mustafa Alani, senior advisor and programme director on security studies at Dubai's Gulf Research Centre told The Hindu . The NBC news on Tuesday quoted a U.S. official as saying that Saudi Arabia is prepared to move its own forces into Iraq in case the violence there became uncontrollable.

Signalling Riyadh's intent to play an assertive role, Prince Saud sought Washington's backing for a regional initiative to defuse tensions in Iraq. "We also hope that the [Bush] plan continues to support the upcoming National Iraqi Conference based on efforts by the Arab League," he said. Observers point out that despite tensions with Tehran over Iraq, Saudi Arabia is averse to any attack on Iran. U.S. officials were quoted as saying that during talks, Ms. Rice emphasised that the American campaign to disrupt Iranian support networks would be confined to Iraq alone.

Diplomatic interaction between Riyadh and Tehran is also active. On Sunday, Iran's top negotiator on the nuclear issue, Ali Larijani, was in Saudi Arabia, ahead of Ms. Rice's visit to the Gulf. A Saudi official on Monday had said that Mr. Larijani had delivered a message to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, requesting him to convey Tehran's goodwill towards Washington.

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