Middle East Focus: More Fog and Confusion in Iraq

Arabia Deserta

More Fog and Confusion in Iraq

“Within the context of charges against Syria, Iraqi television has broadcast a video recording of a leading Saudi al-Qaeda operative who claimed he was recruited in Saudi Arabia but was trained in Syria……Iraqi officials also clam that the men responsible for the suicide bombings last week that killed 95 people had been recently released from an American detention center…”

It looks like things are beginning to go back to normal between Iraq and her neighbors; at least her Arab neighbors. Charges are flying about Syrian involvement in allowing terrorists to cross; relations with Kuwait are back to unfriendly (they have not been friendly since July 1990), although Kuwait has sent an ambassador to Baghdad; Saudi Arabia, like most Sunni Arab regimes does not like a Shi’a dominated Arab government and it has not sent an ambassador yet. The same goes for other Arab regimes, according to many Iraqis.

Iraqi Sunni politicians (mainly, but not all, Islamists) are in no hurry for their country to improve relations with Sunni-ruled Arab countries, because that would reduce their own influence within Iraq and with the neighbors. They need to milk the tensions as much as possible to their advantage.

Relations with Iran are apparently smooth for now, but one never knows what undercurrents are there, given the various splits and factions within the Iraqi political leadership.
Cheers and Ramadan Kareem
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