White House rejects Saudi view on Iraq

[sabra]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON- The Bush administration on Thursday rejected criticism by a key Arab ally of the U.S. role in Iraq.

Touching off an unusual public exchange, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia declared Wednesday at an Arab League meeting in Riyadh that the United States was occupying Iraq illegally.

"In beloved Iraq," he said, "blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war."

Questioned Thursday about Abdullah's statement at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that dealt mostly with the situations in Iran and Iraq, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns replied: "I was a little surprised to see these remarks."

But he also told Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., that "we disagree."

Read more: http://origin.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_5549122

[fooj]

1. Oops. Did they check with Poppy before they issued that statement?

:P

[JuniperLea]

2. Trouble in paradise?

But but but! The Bush's have been such good, hand-holding and smooching friends with these guys!

What happened?

[rodeodance]

3. umm not longs buds?

[chaplainM]

4. In Saudi Arabia

...disagreeing with the king like that can get you beheaded.

[rodeodance]

5. HaHA----sure enough, it takes Jr to mess up the family friends.

[Megahurtz]

6. "occupying Iraq illegally."

The entire World could agree with that by now.

[benld74]

7. I guess they won't be swappin any spit soon

[Roland99]

8. The White House categorically denies and rejects *anything* that doesn't match their spin.

The Administration of perpetual campaigning.



But, they'll "appreciate" someone else's opinion or hardball question.

[irish.lambchop]

9. Methinks Abdullah might be more

interested in keeping his dictatorship intact rather than aligning himself with the "war on terra".

[MAGICBULLET]

10. GREAT!

4 years after the fact and after how many dead? Great timing bubba!

edit to add: snip
<http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070329/pl_afp/arabsummitdiplomacy_070329174601>


"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people."

Invitation?? WTF!!???

[thecrow]

11. WTF indeed

say it again :WTF:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. condi and cheney know much better than anyone local,

who understands the deep philosophical differences between tribes, sunni, shia and more.

of course.

[youngdem]

13. Pfft. Abdullah has to do this every so often so there isn't a coup in SA over his best buddies

This is just theater for the idiot masses.

He probably sent Poppy a transcript of the speech before hand. They'll probably laugh about it over cigars soon.

This speech makes both Bush and Abdullah more popular at home by putting apparent distance between each other.

[MadMaddie]

14. so how long will it be before the Saudi's start kicking up the

oil prices..