Saudi King Calls Iraq War Illegal

Latest evidence of breach with ally
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 29, 2007 8:53 AM CDT
Saudi King Calls Iraq War Illegal
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz, center, speaks to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left as Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, right, looks on after they arrived at Riyadh airport, Tuesday, March 27, 2007, one day before the start of the Arab Summit.   (Associated Press)

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.)

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