US rejects Saudi view of Iraq as occupied
Washington,
Mar
30:
The
United
States
today
rejected
Saudi
Arabia's
charge
that
Iraq
is
under
an
''illegitimate
foreign
occupation''
and
said
US
troops
are
there
at
Iraq's
invitation,
under
a
UN
mandate.
The
crossfire
reflecting
growing
differences
between
the
two
long-time
allies
at
a
time
when
the
Saudis
are
taking
on
a
greater
leadership
role
in
West
Asia.
Saudi
King
Abdullah
rattled
Washington
yesterday
by
telling
an
Arab
summit
that,
''In
beloved
Iraq,
blood
flows
between
brothers
in
the
shadow
of
illegitimate
foreign
occupation
and
hateful
sectarianism,
threatening
a
civil
war.''
White
House
spokeswoman
Dana
Perino
said
the
United
States
and
Saudi
Arabia
have
a
close
and
cooperative
relationship
but
made
clear
the
Bush
administration
did
not
agree
with
the
king's
statement.
''When
it
comes
to
the
coalition
forces
being
in
Iraq,
we
are
there
under
the
UN
Security
Council
resolutions
and
at
the
invitation
of
the
Iraqi
people,''
she
said.
Undersecretary
of
State
Nicholas
Burns,
testifying
before
the
Senate
Foreign
Relations
Committee,
acknowledged
the
administration
was
''a
little
surprised
to
see
those
remarks''
and
would
seek
clarification
from
the
Saudis.
He
said
it
was
possible
the
king's
comments
might
have
been
misinterpreted
as
a
result
of
translation
problems
or
could
have
been
misreported
by
the
media
but
expressed
confidence
the
episode
would
not
disrupt
cooperation
between
Washington
and
Riyadh.
State
Department
spokesman
Sean
McCormack
said
Saudi
Arabia
was
a
good
friend
and
ally
and
he
did
not
want
to
dissect
the
king's
remarks.
''Everyone
shares
a
common
interest
in
seeing
an
Iraq
that
is
whole
and
that
is
free
and
that
is
at
peace
and
prosperous
for
all
Iraqis,''
McCormack
said.
The
king's
speech
was
only
the
latest
sign
of
a
split
between
Washington
and
its
key
oil
supplier
and
traditional
West
Asia
ally.
Last
month,
Saudi
Arabia
played
host
in
Mecca
to
talks
that
led
to
an
agreement
between
the
Islamist
group
Hamas
and
the
Fatah
group
of
US-backed
Palestinian
President
Mahmoud
Abbas
to
form
a
unity
government
to
end
Palestinian
infighting.
The
agreement
caused
problems
for
Washington
because
it
enhanced
the
status
of
Hamas,
which
the
Bush
administration
sees
as
a
terrorist
organization.
Reuters