Saudis Said to Disregard U.S. on Aid to Syrian Islamists

Saudi Arabia’s support for rebels in Syria won’t be constrained by U.S. efforts to keep the money from Islamist groups, as the kingdom steps up efforts to battle Iranian influence in the region, a Saudi official said.

Syrian opposition factions backed by the U.S. are disorganized and largely ineffective, so directing assistance only to them would be handicapping the fight against President Bashar al-Assad, the official said, asking not to be identified because of the issue’s sensitivity. He said differences between the longtime allies over Syria and other Middle East issues don’t amount to a breakdown in relations.

The U.S. about-face on Syria, dropping threats of military action to back a Russian plan for Assad to surrender his chemical weapons, was greeted with dismay by allies in the Gulf, which are also concerned by the prospect of a thaw between the U.S. and Iran. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, dropped its bid for a United Nations Security Council seat, saying the UN body failed to end turmoil in Syria.

Gulf nations played a central role in efforts to organize the Syrian rebel factions that have some U.S. backing into a coherent political and military unit. Now, most Saudi and Qatari aid is going to radical Islamist groups, according to a U.S. official who also asked not to be identified because of the contentious nature of the assistance.

Rebels Split

Last month, more than a dozen Syrian rebel factions, mostly Islamists, broke away from the Syrian National Coalition, backed by the West as the main umbrella for the anti-Assad forces. The Coalition has accused groups with ties to al-Qaeda of fighting against other rebels rather than Assad’s army. Assad has highlighted the role of jihadists in describing the opposition as terrorists.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-22/saudi-arabia-said-to-disregard-u-s-on-aid-to-syria-islamists.html