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Saudi King Backs Iraq's Sunni Rebels

Ally undermining Bush strategy and fledgling government

By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 27, 2007 6:23 AM CDT

(Newser) – Saudi Arabia is working at cross purposes with the Bush administration in Iraq by backing Sunni tribes engaged in sectarian violence there, the New York Times reports. King Abdullah has funded the Sunnis and is allowing insurgents to enter the country, US officials charge. Of up to 80 foreign fighters who enter Iraq monthly, they estimate, nearly half come from Saudi Arabia.

Sunni Saudi Arabia has been reluctant to support the Shiite-dominated government in Iraq, charging that PM Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is a puppet of Iran. Abdullah has warned publicly that if US troops are withdrawn, his nation might back Sunni fighters in the civil war likely to ensue. The White House remains reluctant to censure the Saudis for fear of losing a vital ally.

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, centre, enters the Moncloa palace with Spain's prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, right, in Madrid, Tuesday, June 19, 2007. King Abdullah, a key player in Middle East politics, said he fears conflicts in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iraq could explode into a global one,...
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, centre, enters the Moncloa palace with Spain's prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, right, in Madrid, Tuesday, June 19, 2007. King Abdullah, a key player in Middle...   (Associated Press)
 town square to be publicly beheaded. (AP Photo)
town square to be publicly beheaded. (AP Photo)   (Associated Press)
US President George W. Bush (R) waves as he and his wife Laura...
US President George W. Bush (R) waves as he and his wife Laura...   (Getty Images)
US President George W. Bush (R) speaks with King Abdullah II...
US President George W. Bush (R) speaks with King Abdullah II...   (Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah gives the thumb's up after his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, June 21, 2007.  (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah gives the thumb's up after his meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, June 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)   (Associated Press)
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