Rice calls Saudi ambassador to discuss monarch's criticism of U.S. presence in Iraq

[bemildred]

Source: IHT

WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir to discuss critical remarks about U.S. policy toward Iraq by Saudi King Abdullah at this week's Arab summit in Riyadh.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack gave no details of the conversation. He said followup discussions are planned at lower levels.

Abdullah said Wednesday the American military presence in Iraq was an "illegitimate foreign occupation." Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns expressed surprise at the remark and said the United States disagreed with it.

McCormack said the United States has "good, sound relations" with Saudi Arabia and with the king in particular.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/30/america/NA-GEN-US-Saudi-Arabia.php

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The thing to notice here, so far, is who is controlling this story, who is reacting to whom?

[xultar]

1. BUHWAWAWA! Condi...break out the knee pads. The Saudis aren't gonna take that kindly.

[bemildred]

2. Riyadh reiterates that Iraq is under occupation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said yesterday that King Abdullah was stating a fact when he described Iraq as being under occupation, a criticism which has prompted Washington to seek clarification from its ally.

The Saudi monarch “did not name a specific (occupying country) but said that Iraq is under occupation,” Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters. “I don’t know how a country in which there are soldiers who don’t hold its nationality can be described other than as (being under) occupation,” the prince said.

King Abdullah on Wednesday slammed the “illegitimate foreign occupation” of Iraq, where US-led forces have been in control since invading in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein. “In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and ugly sectarianism threatens civil war,” the king said in an opening speech to an Arab summit in Riyadh.

In the past, Saudi leaders including Prince Saud have criticised US policy in Iraq but have never described its presence there as “illegitimate.” “Did (Iraq) choose to have these forces? Had this been the case, it would have been a different matter. Any military intervention that is not at the request of the country concerned is the definition of occupation,” Saud told a news conference at the end of the Arab summit.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=141009&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56

[bemildred]

3. Iran May Skip Talks on Iraq If U.S. Keeps Six Detainees

Iran may not send a delegation to a key meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, tentatively planned for next month, unless six Iranians detained by the United States in Iraq are released, a senior Iranian official said yesterday.

The meeting on Iraq's future, planned for Istanbul or Kuwait, is a follow-up to a lower-level meeting held this month in Baghdad. The State Department hopes the meeting will provide a venue for Iraq to engage Iran -- as well as Syria and other key players -- on efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki would face serious internal pressure not to attend a high-level meeting with the United States in light of the impasse over its military and diplomatic personnel, said the Iranian official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the topic's sensitivity. Iran had expected five of the six to be released last week, at the beginning of the Iranian new year.

The five are members of Iran's elite al-Quds Brigade who were detained during a U.S. raid on an Iranian diplomatic office in the Kurdish city of Irbil in January. The United States alleged that they were "suspected of being closely tied" to attacks on U.S. forces. Computers, cellphones and other equipment seized there have produced intelligence on Iranian operations in Iraq, U.S. officials said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802431.html

[Old and In the Way]

4. I wonder what the internal political situation is, in Saudi Arabia.

I suspect that there's a strong undercurrent of unhappiness in the Kingdom with the Sunni's feeling that we are too close to the Shia Iraqi government. It is a no win situation for us in Iraq. Whatever side we take is going to have repercussions with the governments whose people are on the opposite side. If anything, this administration seems to be tacking a course that maxi9mizes the ME's anger against our actions in Iraq. Heckuva job, Bushie.

[Botany]

5. Snort

:rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray:

:rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray:



:rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray:



:rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray: :rofl: :bounce: :spray:

Go get 'em Condi!

[no_hypocrisy]

6. What does she want? A retraction in a press release?

I don't think sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo . . . .

[xultar]

7. I bet this is just a fake-out. She's saying she's gonna call but hoping the report of the call

will get to them.

[bemildred]

8. My guess is she wants to find out how bad it is.

And, of course, one must always look in control.

[jwirr]

11. What she really wants to know is "are you still with us?". Several

things have happened just recently that may indicate a very big switch in loyalties. This statement from the Saudi leaders, the refusal of both Saudi and Jordanian leaders to come to *ss's official dinner and finally the Syrian peace proposal for the ME are all connected.

I wonder if they have not just realized that they all have a big stake in the results of any ME settlement. That oil contract that *ss and co. just signed with Iraq is probably what woke them up. If they all set back while Iraq's oil is stolen then they need to ask who is next. I have wondered all along when they would realize that blood is thicker than money. When we finally are kicked out of the ME or the oil runs out *ss & his oil cartel are not going to care about anyone in the ME. The Arab nations may just have decided to stand together.

[AndyA]

9. I'll bet Condi sticks this in her "To Do" file on her desk.

You know the one: the one that still has that memo in it "Bin Laden determined to strike U.S."

She ought to dust it off at least, from time to time...












Some day, she hope to get caught up and take care of the more pressing matters that need her attention, yet are still in her "To Do" file! :eyes:

[rodeodance]

10. send in the DuD!!

[thecrow]

12. Oh, yeah, Send a woman to talk to them

Did someone forget he was a Muslim?

Why doesn't the Smirk call him?

[lpbk2713]

13. CONdi gonna wave at him?

Like Trump says ... she's not a deal maker, she's a 'waver'.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Supersedeas]

14. Condi will have a subordinate call and do the speaking then take credit