Saudi king slams 'illegitimate occupation' of Iraq (Bush whines)

Saudi king slams 'illegitimate occupation' of Iraq

by Lydia Georgi
2 hours, 3 minutes ago

RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi King Abdullah, whose country is a close US ally, on Wednesday slammed the "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq in an opening speech to the annual Arab summit in Riyadh.

"In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and ugly sectarianism threatens civil war," Abdullah said.

He also said that Arab nations, which are planning to revive a five-year-old Middle East peace plan at the summit, would not allow any foreign force to decide the future of the region.

In the past, Saudi leaders including Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal have often criticised US policy in Iraq but have never described its presence there as "illegitimate."

If Arab leaders recover trust in each other and regain their credibility, "the winds of hope will blow on the nation, and then, we will not allow forces from outside the region to determine the future of the region, and only the flag of Arabism will be raised on Arab soil," Abdullah said.

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"You have to remember, our destiny, as Iraqis, we have to live in this part of the world. And we have to live with Iran, we have to live with Syria and Turkey and other countries," he said. "So in fact, on the other hand, the Iraqi government is committed to cultivate good neighborly relations with these two countries and to engage them constructively in security cooperation."

Bush Vows to Hold Democrats Responsible on Iraq Troop Pullout

Roger Runningen
1 hour, 31 minutes ago

March 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush attacked the Senate's $122 billion Iraq war spending bill that insists on a timetable for troop withdrawal and promised he'll hold Democrats responsible.

``The clock is ticking for our troops in the field,'' Bush will say in a speech this morning, according to excerpts released by the White House. ``If Congress fails to pass a bill to fund our troops on he front lines, the American people will know who to hold responsible.''

Money for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan begins running out in mid-April.

The president's rhetoric reflects an escalation in the confrontation between the administration and the Democratic- controlled Congress over lawmakers' attempts to set a deadline for withdrawal of troops. The Senate voted 50-48 yesterday to pull out most of the 141,000 U.S. forces from Iraq by March 31, 2008, and attached it to a $122 billion war-funding measure. The House passed a $124 billion package last week, setting a deadline of September 2008.

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Bush's Royal Trouble

Why Is King Abdullah Saying No to Dinner?

By Jim Hoagland
Wednesday, March 28, 2007; Page A15

President Bush enjoys hosting formal state dinners about as much as having a root canal. Or proposing tax increases. So his decision to schedule a mid-April White House gala for Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah signified the president's high regard for an Arab monarch who is also a Bush family friend.

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Abdullah's bowing out of the April 17 event is, in fact, one more warning sign that the Bush administration's downward spiral at home is undermining its ability to achieve its policy objectives abroad. Friends as well as foes see the need, or the chance, to distance themselves from the politically besieged Bush.

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But administration sources report that Bush and his senior advisers were not convinced by Bandar's vagueness -- especially since it followed Saudi decisions to seek common ground with Iran and the radicals of Hezbollah and Hamas instead of confronting them as part of Rice's proposed "realignment" of the Middle East into moderates and extremists.

Abdullah's reluctance to be seen socializing at the White House this spring reflects two related dynamics: a scampering back by the Saudis to their traditional caution in trying to balance regional forces, and their displeasure with negative U.S. reaction to their decision to return to co-opting or placating foes.

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