This is what Saudi Arabia did and America was unable to do

Tuesday, 22 August 2017 at 09:49 AM

This

Baghdad / Sky Press:

That the news of improved rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, is one of the best news coming from the Middle East for a long time. The US magazine noted that this improvement in relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia is long overdue, but now things are back to the right steps.

The Foreign Ministry said the improvement began in February when Saudi Foreign Minister Al-Jubeir visited Baghdad, the first visit of its kind since 1990, and continued in a number of subsequentcontacts, including a meeting between Iraqi Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji and Deputy Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Muhammad Bin Salman on July 19.

She said the most surprising development was Iraqi leader Moqtada al-Sadr's move to Riyadh for high-level talks on improving bilateral ties with the Saudis on July 31.

The political magazine noted the complexity of Sadr's relationship with Tehran because of his Iraqi national tendency, saying that he was an important ally of Iran after the period of Saddam Hussein.

Although these meetings are still at an early stage, they raised the possibility of Saudi willingness to support war-torn Iraq, ease restrictions on trade and communications between the two countries, and reopen the huge pipelines that pass through the kingdom from Iraq to the Red Sea, Built during the Iran-Iraq war, but closed after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. It also raises the prospect of significant Sunni political participation in Iraq after the Islamic state.

From the perspective of the United States and Iraq, this convergence is good news. Washington has tried in vain since 2003 to convince the Saudis and other Gulf states to play a vital role in stabilizing Iraq and its geopolitical reorganization, and that the split of the Iraqis will simply lead the country's Shi'ites into Iranian embrace and turn Sunnis into terrorist groups such as al Qaeda.

"For the past 14 years, the kingdom has been a distance," Foreign Policy said. "Iraq has already become the Iranians, and if it is not, the United States should resolve the problems it created with the invasion." But King Mohammed bin Salman welcomed the re-evaluation of old policies and competition in areas where the Kingdom gave up this area.

Iraq could be a major beneficiary of this transformation, and this would be very useful for US efforts to stabilize the country in the wake of the impending Islamic state defeat. The Saudis can also play an important role in preventing their northern neighbor from sliding back into civil war. Their influence with Iraqi Sunni leaders and tribes from the restive Anbar province could help facilitate a political settlement leading to a more representative government in Baghdad.

The openness of Saudi Arabia to Iraqis is also important not only for bilateral relations, but for Iraq's reintegration into its wider Arab environment. Following Sadr's meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, he was invited to the United Arab Emirates, where Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash announced a new era of engagement between Iraq and the Gulf states. The result of this diplomatic development is the visit of four Arab foreign ministers to Baghdad this month.

"The political and political dimensions of this matter are equally important," Foreign Policy said. Although many Iraqi Shiites have some confidence that Iran will support them when no one does, most of them do not like the overwhelming nature of Iranian influence, and want to see that power diminishes. But in the past, when a moderate Shiite leader tried to shape a path away from Iran, he found it impossible to find anyone to replace and protect Tehran's largesse. Neither the United States nor the Sunni Arab states help the moderate leader to return to Iran. But if there is a strong ally like Saudi Arabia, it will be different.

The forward-looking Saudi position can give Iraqi Sunnis confidence in a sense of equality with the Shiites in Baghdad. Knowing that they have strong support from neighbors, they may be more willing to compromise. It should also make them more confident that Shiite militants will not be able to overcome their legitimate demands in areas such as political representation and economic benefits. It can also help them to meet the needs of their society after the devastation inflicted by the Islamic state.

skypressiq.net