Saudi Arabia sees allies among Iraq's Sunni tribes
The kingdom is distinguishing between Sunni tribes opposed to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
The latest developments in Iraq — the collapse of the Iraqi army in Mosul and the advance of local Sunni factions and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) toward Baghdad — constitute a new challenge for Saudi foreign policy.
While Riyadh would prefer not to have to deal with a sectarian, pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, it is also wary of a jihadist organizations on its northern border.
Thus, the Saudi Council of Ministers issued a statement on June 16 in which it sought to distinguish between factions classified as terrorist, such as ISIS, and Iraqi Sunni clans resisting Iranian influence in Iraq.
The statement, which blamed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s sectarian policies for the situation in Iraq, angered Maliki, who accused Riyadh of being behind the events. The verbal exchange resulted in a quick response from Washington that labeled Maliki’s statements hostile and inaccurate.
