Kinyungu
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- Apr 6, 2008
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New WikiLeaks cables show angry Nouri al-Maliki accusing Arab neighbours of stoking civil war.
Newly released WikiLeaks cables describe strained, even hostile, relations between Iraq and presumed Gulf allies in 2008, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accusing neighbours of funding proxy groups to foment violence and destabilise the country.
Detailed State Department cables on meetings between al-Maliki, General Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker also show how much influence the Americans had in Iraq, from security to oil production.
Meeting at al-Maliki's residence on April 14, 2008, a perturbed prime minister launched into an "impassioned" criticism of Iraq's Arab neighbours - Saudi Arabia in particular - and he questioned the need for an upcoming "Neighbour's Conference".
"We have seen nothing positive from Iraq's neighbours: they did not reduce our debt, they did not return their embassies, and they have all interfered in our political, military and financial realms," al-Maliki told the Americans.
In a May 2007 cable, the prime minister told Petraeus and Crocker that: "Iraq's neighbours were conspiring to unseat him and destroy his country. While these nations' leaders publicly state their goodwill toward Iraq, Maliki said, they denounce him as a sectarian leader and finance his country's enemies in an attempt to foment civil war."
Petraeus told al-Maliki that Iran was a "particularly nefarious actor, using its intelligence agencies to support both Sunni and Shia militia activities in Iraq."
Iraq's leader saved his most venomous comments for the House of Saud: "If they (the Gulf Arabs) want to talk about violence, maybe we should have a conference about Saudi Arabia. Most terrorists here are Saudis ... The Saudi people have a culture that supports terrorism. The Saudi government cannot control it, and they cannot get rid of the terrorist institutions that are creating and funding terrorism."
Al-Maliki accused Saudi Arabia's external intelligence chief of fomenting sectarian conflict in Iraq. "I told Vice President Cheney that (Saudi) Prince Muqrin is funding a Sunni army to oppose the Shia army ... I don't want to make threats, but if the Saudis keep saying things about me publicly, that I am Iran's man, then I can say things publicly about them as well," al-Maliki said.
Read it here:Iraqi PM: Saudi has a 'culture of terrorism' - Features - Al Jazeera English
Newly released WikiLeaks cables describe strained, even hostile, relations between Iraq and presumed Gulf allies in 2008, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki accusing neighbours of funding proxy groups to foment violence and destabilise the country.
Detailed State Department cables on meetings between al-Maliki, General Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker also show how much influence the Americans had in Iraq, from security to oil production.
Meeting at al-Maliki's residence on April 14, 2008, a perturbed prime minister launched into an "impassioned" criticism of Iraq's Arab neighbours - Saudi Arabia in particular - and he questioned the need for an upcoming "Neighbour's Conference".
"We have seen nothing positive from Iraq's neighbours: they did not reduce our debt, they did not return their embassies, and they have all interfered in our political, military and financial realms," al-Maliki told the Americans.
In a May 2007 cable, the prime minister told Petraeus and Crocker that: "Iraq's neighbours were conspiring to unseat him and destroy his country. While these nations' leaders publicly state their goodwill toward Iraq, Maliki said, they denounce him as a sectarian leader and finance his country's enemies in an attempt to foment civil war."
Petraeus told al-Maliki that Iran was a "particularly nefarious actor, using its intelligence agencies to support both Sunni and Shia militia activities in Iraq."
Iraq's leader saved his most venomous comments for the House of Saud: "If they (the Gulf Arabs) want to talk about violence, maybe we should have a conference about Saudi Arabia. Most terrorists here are Saudis ... The Saudi people have a culture that supports terrorism. The Saudi government cannot control it, and they cannot get rid of the terrorist institutions that are creating and funding terrorism."
Al-Maliki accused Saudi Arabia's external intelligence chief of fomenting sectarian conflict in Iraq. "I told Vice President Cheney that (Saudi) Prince Muqrin is funding a Sunni army to oppose the Shia army ... I don't want to make threats, but if the Saudis keep saying things about me publicly, that I am Iran's man, then I can say things publicly about them as well," al-Maliki said.
Read it here:Iraqi PM: Saudi has a 'culture of terrorism' - Features - Al Jazeera English
