Saudi King Calls Iraq War Illegal

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia fired a warning shot at the Bush administration yesterday, calling Iraq “an illegal foreign occupation” and urging Arab leaders to unite to prevent U.S. domination of the region.  The Saudis "are telling the U.S. they need to listen to their allies rather than imposing decisions on them,” Middle East expert Mustapha Hamarneh tells the New York Times.

In the latest indication of a widening breach between the U.S. and our closest Arab ally. In other recent snubs, Abdullah invited President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran to Riyadh, he called for an end to the boycott of the new Palestinian government, and canceled a White House dinner in his honor. (More Saudi Arabia stories.)