foopah!

Iraq’s interior minister lashed out angrily at Saudi Arabia, rejecting its accusations that Iran now dominates his country, and accusing the Saudis of discriminating against their own Shiites. Interior Minister Bayan Jabr went as far as saying Iraq will not accept “a Bedouin on a camel teaching us about human rights and democracy. In Iraq, we are proud of our civilization.”

The scathing attack – the latest in a series of squabbles between Shiite-controlled Iraq and its Sunni Arab neighbours – were certain to increase tensions as foreign ministers of eight Arab countries met in the Saudi port city of Jeddah to discuss plans to help Iraq restore its security.

Last week, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said U.S. policy had deepened sectarian tensions in Iraq to the extent that the country was effectively being handed over to Iran.

Jabr rejected the Saudi claim during a visit to Jordan, saying: “Saudi Arabia has other motives to launch such accusations.”

“Saudi Arabia has its own problems. There are four million Shiites who are treated as third-class citizens,” he said.

“Let them give the right to their women to at least drive cars. Their women are deprived of their rights while the women in our country are equal to men.”

He also called the Saudis “tyrants who think they are king and God, and they name their countries after their families.”

Iran has also rejected the Saudi charges, accusing the Saudi foreign minister of “meddling” in Iraqi affairs.
The Daily Star
Hat tip: emoodz

The funniest jokes always have some measure of truth in them. But this is not a joke, this could be the start of a huge crack in relations between Gulf countries, which have to centuries protected each others’ backs (as far as the ruling elite are concerned) but now with a “free” Iraq with democratically elected real people, they don’t toe the line and will continue to call a spade a spade.

But diplomacy (for God’s sake) must prevail, because otherwise this region is going to crumble much before the fat lady even starts her song. And diplomacy is required on BOTH sides, if Saudi or any other Gulf/Arab country want to help Iraq then they have to cooperate with Iraqis and treat them as true partners for a long lasting peace, not as a “new kid on the block who is easily intimidated” because that most certainly won’t work.

What can the immediate neighbours do? Patrol their borders much more effectively, stop the outflow of terrorists, and stop calling these criminals “resistance fighters” but give them their correct nomenclature: TERRORISTS, criminals, insurgents, killers, rather than putting them on national TV and extolling their virtues.