Saif al-Arab
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Just wonderful.
Deputy King confirms a strong relationship with Iraq in all areas
- Thread starter The SC
- Start date
Just wonderful.
Saif al-Arab
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Last edited:
Saif al-Arab
BANNED
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2015
- Messages
- 8,873
- Reaction score
- 5
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Will Iraq Realign Toward Saudi Arabia in 2018?
UMER KARIM
JANUARY 17, 2018
Saudi Arabia is focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links
Since King Salman ascended to the throne three years ago, Saudi foreign policy has become increasingly muscular, underscored by the ongoing crises in Yemen and Qatar. The rise of Iranian influence in the Middle East has been the prime factor driving this Saudi approach to regional issues. Of all the political fronts where Riyadh is attempting to counter Tehran, the Saudis have managed to achieve a significant degree of success in Iraq.
The invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 by the United States and the United Kingdom changed the fortunes of the country’s Shia political forces. Soon after Saddam Hussein fell, Shia factions emerged as the dominant power component in Iraqi politics. Iran managed to leverage this shift by influencing different Shia blocks to coalesce and form a government. During the successive governments of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iran became the prime player in Iraqi politics.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia did not assertively contest Iran’s involvement in Iraq. Although Sunnis constitute Iraq’s second largest polity, their influence in Iraqi politics has been on the decline since 2003. This has been partially due to a reluctance of regional Sunni powers, specifically Saudi Arabia, to engage in Iraq and to support the political interests of Iraqi Sunnis. Saudi Arabia had traditionally maintained links with Sunni tribal elites in the Anbar province. Yet this engagement was never strategic in nature and did not change the political fortunes of Iraqi Sunnis. Riyadh had practically given up on Iraq and, until recently, considered its government an Iranian proxy.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) have effectively changed Riyadh’s strategies and launched a charm offensive to connect with Iraq’s present government. This shift is due partially to Haider al-Abadi’s rise to the rank of prime minister. Abadi has taken a somewhat nationalistic stance on political issues concerning Baghdad and has positively engaged with all of Iraq’s neighbors. This mutual willingness to improve the relationship resulted in Saudi Arabia appointing its first ambassador to Iraq since Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.
Relations entered troubled waters again, however, when Iraq’s government requested that Saudi Arabia replace the kingdom’s ambassador following his controversial statements about Iran’s involvement in Iraq. The Saudis acted pragmatically and recalled their ambassador but did not suspend their diplomatic representation in Iraq, and the strain in bilateral ties created by the ouster gradually eased. Visits by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji and also by Abadi were instrumental to this end. Moreover, the Saudis realized that the enormous power of Shia militant groups in Iraq could not be countered openly, but instead required a pragmatic policy of a deeper engagement that included nationalistic elements.
The defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul and other cities by Iraqi security forces has further prompted Baghdad and Riyadh to move toward rapprochement. Saudi Arabia has a unique opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq’s major Sunni areas, thereby obtaining stakes in future relations between the country’s Shia polity and the Sunni minority. This dynamic, coupled with the reality that numerous Iraqi officials are seeking to assert Baghdad’s independence from Tehran’s foreign policy and espouse an increasingly nationalistic political discourse in Iraq’s post-IS chapter may ultimately enable Riyadh to achieve some degree of success in terms of limiting Iran’s role in Iraq.
For the first time in 11 years, prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr visited Riyadh in July 2017, where he agreed with the Saudi leadership on the goal of peaceful coexistence and cooperation for the achievement of common interests. Saudi Arabia already enjoys cordial ties with prominent Iraqi politician and Vice President Iyad Allawi, who had accused Iran of interfering in Iraq. Saudis are focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links. Officials in Riyadh realize that a long-term relationship with Iraq can be viable only if it is rooted in an economic partnership. Saudi Arabia’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad has stressed that his priority was to promote economic engagement between the two states while initiating interaction between business elites on both sides. Within this context, Saudi Arabia finally decided to appoint a full-time ambassador to Iraq.
Riyadh is aware that the prospects for limiting Iranian influence in Iraq will be more realistic once Saudi Arabia plays its political and economic cards in the correct combination and at the right time. This opportune moment appears to be the Iraqi elections of 2018. There has been a convergence of interests on the part of both Iraqi political entities and the kingdom with Mohammed bin Salman at the helm. Riyadh ultimately wants an Iraq ruled by the likes of Abadi, Allawi and Sadr — not Iran-allied players.
Moreover, a major concern for Saudi Arabia is the host of heavily armed Shia militias, some of which operate close to the kingdom’s border with Iraq and are seen in Riyadh as a grave threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security. This threat can be further institutionalized if these actors are able to politically cash in their victories against IS in the upcoming elections. The success of political entities trying to assert more independence from the Islamic Republic may create a new political landscape in Iraq that is far more favorable to Riyadh’s long-term interests.
*[This article was originally published by Gulf State Analytics, a partner institution of Fair Observer.]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
Photo Credit: Robert Hale / Shutterstock.com
UMER KARIM
Umer Karim is a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses primarily on Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy and internal politic
https://www.fairobserver.com/region...iddle-east-politics-2018-news-analysis-18999/
SPORTS
Saudi Arabia pick 41-year-old for match with Iraq
HASSINAN MUBARAK | Published — Tuesday 30 January 2018
Hussein Abdulghani will win his 135th cap for Saudi Arabia at the age of 41. (AP)
LONDON: Juan Antonio Pizzi has sprung a huge surprise by recalling two veterans, with a combined age of 78, to the national side to face Iraq in a friendly next month.
Defender Hussein Abdulghani, 41, and midfielder Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, 37, have been included in the XI named well advance of the match with their Gulf rivals at Basra Sports City stadium on Feb. 28. Abdulghani will play on the left side of a four-man defence while Al-Shlhoub will be play in the middle of a five-man midfield. A third veteran, Al-Nassr’s 34-year-old striker Hassan Al-Raheb, has been named on the bench. He won his last cap in 2009 in a friendly against Qatar.
At the other end of the spectrum, Abdulquddus Atiah, Saeed Al Robeai, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi and Abdulfattah Adam will all win their first caps, with Adam, the Saudi-born forward with parents from Niger, set to lead the line as a lone striker.
But it's the selections of Al-Shlhoub and Abdulghani that will grab the headlines.
Al-Shlhoub has played 117 times for Saudi Arabia but his last international came in 2012 under Frank Rijkaard in a World Cup qualifier against Australia in Melbourne. The playmaker has played at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was in the Asian Cup squad that reached the final of the 2000 Asian Cup in Beirut.
Abdulghani has made 134 appearances for Saudi Arabia and made his debut more than 20 years ago. He last played for his country in 2014 in an international friendly in Jeddah against Lebanon under the tenure of Spanish coach Juan Ramón López Caro. The left-sided defender currently plies his trade in the Bulgaria with FC Vereya. He made his debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Zambia in 1996 — a year before 20-year-old goalkeeper Atiah was even born. A few months later the defender won the 1996 Asian Cup at 19 and played in three World Cup finals in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Abdulghani is in fifth place in Saudi Arabia's all-time appearance list, 38 matches behind Mohammed Al-Deayea who leads the list with 172 matches. Al-Shlhoub is in 10th position and 12th in the all-time goal scoring charts with 19 goals.
Team to face Iraq
Abdulquddus Atiah; Hassan Muath, Saeed Al Robeai, Ahmed Assiri, Hussein Abdulghani; Ibrahim Ghaleb, Hattan Bahebri, Ahmed Al Fraidi, Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi; Abdulfattah Adam.
Substitues: Waleed Abdullah, Saeed Al Mowalad, Mohammed Jahfali, Abdullah Al Zouri, Waleed Bakshween, Mohammed Abousaban, Nasser Al Shamrani and Hassan Al-Raheb.
Squad for the training camp in Riyadh Feb. 21-27
Goalkeepers: Waleed Abdullah (Al-Nassr), Abdulquddus Atiah (Al-Fayha)
Defender: Hassan Muath (Al-Shabab), Saeed Al Robeai (Al-Faisaly), Ahmed Assiri (Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Abdullah Al Zouri (Al-Hilal), Hussein Abdulghani (FC Vereya, Bulgaria), Mohammed Jahfali (Al-Hilal), Saeed Al Mowalad (Al-Ahly Jeddah)
Midfielders: Waleed Bakshween (Al-Ahly Jeddah), Mohammed Abousaban (Al-Faisaly), Ibrahim Ghaleb (Al-Nassr), Ahmed Al Fraidi (Al-Nassr), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab), Mohammed Al Shlhoub (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi (Al-Ettifaq).
Forwards: Nasser Al Shamrani (Al-Shabab), Hassan Al Raheb (Al-Nassr), Abdulfattah Adam (Al-Taawun)
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1236001/sports
Saudi Arabia-Iraq sign cooperation agreements and increase trade in Riyadh
19JANUARY
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have signed bilateral cooperation agreements in various areas. Minister of Trade and Investment Majid al Qasabi, and the Iraqi Minister of Planning and Trade
Suleiman al Jumaili have signed the agreements, at the end of the work of the bilateral coordination Council that took place in Riyadh. The agreements include customs cooperation between the two countries and a memorandum on the reactivation of the bilateral coordination council committees. The agreement provides for the development of the Iraqi part of the Arar border port to strengthen the joint cooperation aimed at increasing the volume of trade between Riyadh and Baghdad. The Iraqi minister at Jumaili stressed that relations between the two countries "are witnessing great growth", finding in both countries "the political will to strengthen bilateral relations and trade through the development of border crossings and the restoration of roads ". For his part, the Saudi minister al Qasabi said that Riad will provide Iraq with technical support to allow Baghdad to join the World Trade Organization.
https://www.prpchannel.com/en/PRP-c...ner-riad-agreements-co-rise-exchange-trading/
February 3, 2018 11:28
Iraqi army launches campaign to eliminate terrorists along Saudi Arabia border
Iraqi army is launching a campaign to eliminate ISIS fighters in Anbar, a province on the border with Saudi Arabia, TASS reported.
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 3, ARTSAKHPRESS:“The units of the army, the federal police, the Sunni tribal militia and border troops, with the support of the international anti-terrorist coalition aircraft, began a large-scale operation on Saturday to clean up desert territories in the Anbar province along the Iraqi-Saudi border,” Al Sumaria reported quoting Iraqi commander.
Minister of Iraq Haidar Al-Abadi announced the final defeat of the ISIS on December 10. Most of the militants took refuge in the desert area of Anbar province after the liberation of the Iraqi territories occupied since 2014.
https://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/80...ate-terrorists-along-saudi-arabia-border.html
Few terrorists in that border region (always was the case - 90% was near and around the Syrian border and less so Jordan so a bit surprised by this news) but if that is genuine news, KSA and Iraq are probably directly cooperating. Not probably but for sure. It mentions here the "international anti-terrorist coalition" of which KSA is a part of and Tabuk air base is close as well as the one in Hafar al-Batin.
Saudi Arabia wants to invest Iraqi gas
By
rami
-
February 3, 2018
An oil source revealed a desire to invest the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fields and the current exploration operations also in Anbar, adjacent to the city of Arar Saudi Arabia.
The source stressed that the Saudi side reiterated its desire to invest instead of Korean or Chinese companies, and that Iraq will deal with the issue according to the principle of benefit, not from a political framework, because the field is still subject to a previous contract with a Korean company and was frozen due to the security situation, In the event that there is a defect in either of them.
Iraq announced last November its control of the fire, which was ignited by “dodder” in the field of crutches, after withdrawing during the liberation of areas of Upper Euphrates and the desert island in the west of the country, after the arrival of special teams from the Ministry of Oil was able to extinguish the fire burning wells.
The oil ministry has already announced a plan to raise Iraq’s natural gas production to three times in 2018 by 1700 million cubic feet per day. Oil Minister Jabbar al-Allaibi said gas production would rise to 1,700 million cubic feet per day in 2018.
Last year, Iraq began exporting gas liquids from Basrah Gas Company, a joint venture between South Gas, Shell and Mitsubishi.
“Saudi Arabia’s expertise in the field of gas is not the same in the field of oil, but its attempt to preempt companies and countries and put its investment in the field of gas in Akbar in Anbar may be linked to the proximity of it, as well as trying to establish a successful project in the country is the nucleus of economic weight Her in Iraq. ”
He pointed out that there are other countries in the region may also intervene in the event of the field to invest effectively, and ultimately the whole subject is linked to the security file in Iraq in general, and that region in particular, especially as it is close to the Syrian border.
http://en.economiciraq.com/2018/02/03/saudi-arabia-wants-to-invest-iraqi-gas/
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Sunday 28 January 2018 at 10:05 am
Baghdad / Sky Press
Saudi Arabia’s authorities are ready to give financial aid to Iraq’s reconstruction, a member of the Saudi cabinet’s advisory committee said on Sunday.
“The kingdom is ready to allocate financial aid for the reconstruction of Iraq, but is waiting for guarantees from Baghdad on the fate of the grant,” Eshki said in an interview with Sky Press.
“The Kingdom has expressed its willingness to participate in the upcoming Iraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait (12-14 February), but on several conditions, I have not called it yet, but I believe that the Saudi government wants the Iraqi decision to be sovereign.”
He pointed out that “Iraq is under the influence of Iran and other countries, and Saudi Arabia wants to know where to use the grant funds,” stressing that his country “will not hesitate” to help Iraq.
He explained that Riyadh is providing assistance to many countries with the guarantees of the World Bank and other international parties, “for reassurance about the fate of Saudi aid”.
Kuwait, Iraq, the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank are expected to host an international conference for the reconstruction of Iraq’s restored areas. The conference is expected to be attended by more than 70 Arab and foreign countries and regional and international donor organizations. In the work of the Conference.
http://iraqidinarchat.net/?p=51699
A lot of positive news and great levels of cooperation so quickly into the "normalization".
Some interesting articles written by competent people, especially the first one. Not the typical news.
Not sure if the tagging works but will try.
@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy @Malik Alashter @Iraqiya
@The SC
UMER KARIM
JANUARY 17, 2018
Saudi Arabia is focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links
Since King Salman ascended to the throne three years ago, Saudi foreign policy has become increasingly muscular, underscored by the ongoing crises in Yemen and Qatar. The rise of Iranian influence in the Middle East has been the prime factor driving this Saudi approach to regional issues. Of all the political fronts where Riyadh is attempting to counter Tehran, the Saudis have managed to achieve a significant degree of success in Iraq.
The invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 by the United States and the United Kingdom changed the fortunes of the country’s Shia political forces. Soon after Saddam Hussein fell, Shia factions emerged as the dominant power component in Iraqi politics. Iran managed to leverage this shift by influencing different Shia blocks to coalesce and form a government. During the successive governments of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iran became the prime player in Iraqi politics.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia did not assertively contest Iran’s involvement in Iraq. Although Sunnis constitute Iraq’s second largest polity, their influence in Iraqi politics has been on the decline since 2003. This has been partially due to a reluctance of regional Sunni powers, specifically Saudi Arabia, to engage in Iraq and to support the political interests of Iraqi Sunnis. Saudi Arabia had traditionally maintained links with Sunni tribal elites in the Anbar province. Yet this engagement was never strategic in nature and did not change the political fortunes of Iraqi Sunnis. Riyadh had practically given up on Iraq and, until recently, considered its government an Iranian proxy.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) have effectively changed Riyadh’s strategies and launched a charm offensive to connect with Iraq’s present government. This shift is due partially to Haider al-Abadi’s rise to the rank of prime minister. Abadi has taken a somewhat nationalistic stance on political issues concerning Baghdad and has positively engaged with all of Iraq’s neighbors. This mutual willingness to improve the relationship resulted in Saudi Arabia appointing its first ambassador to Iraq since Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.
Relations entered troubled waters again, however, when Iraq’s government requested that Saudi Arabia replace the kingdom’s ambassador following his controversial statements about Iran’s involvement in Iraq. The Saudis acted pragmatically and recalled their ambassador but did not suspend their diplomatic representation in Iraq, and the strain in bilateral ties created by the ouster gradually eased. Visits by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji and also by Abadi were instrumental to this end. Moreover, the Saudis realized that the enormous power of Shia militant groups in Iraq could not be countered openly, but instead required a pragmatic policy of a deeper engagement that included nationalistic elements.
The defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul and other cities by Iraqi security forces has further prompted Baghdad and Riyadh to move toward rapprochement. Saudi Arabia has a unique opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq’s major Sunni areas, thereby obtaining stakes in future relations between the country’s Shia polity and the Sunni minority. This dynamic, coupled with the reality that numerous Iraqi officials are seeking to assert Baghdad’s independence from Tehran’s foreign policy and espouse an increasingly nationalistic political discourse in Iraq’s post-IS chapter may ultimately enable Riyadh to achieve some degree of success in terms of limiting Iran’s role in Iraq.
For the first time in 11 years, prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr visited Riyadh in July 2017, where he agreed with the Saudi leadership on the goal of peaceful coexistence and cooperation for the achievement of common interests. Saudi Arabia already enjoys cordial ties with prominent Iraqi politician and Vice President Iyad Allawi, who had accused Iran of interfering in Iraq. Saudis are focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links. Officials in Riyadh realize that a long-term relationship with Iraq can be viable only if it is rooted in an economic partnership. Saudi Arabia’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad has stressed that his priority was to promote economic engagement between the two states while initiating interaction between business elites on both sides. Within this context, Saudi Arabia finally decided to appoint a full-time ambassador to Iraq.
Riyadh is aware that the prospects for limiting Iranian influence in Iraq will be more realistic once Saudi Arabia plays its political and economic cards in the correct combination and at the right time. This opportune moment appears to be the Iraqi elections of 2018. There has been a convergence of interests on the part of both Iraqi political entities and the kingdom with Mohammed bin Salman at the helm. Riyadh ultimately wants an Iraq ruled by the likes of Abadi, Allawi and Sadr — not Iran-allied players.
Moreover, a major concern for Saudi Arabia is the host of heavily armed Shia militias, some of which operate close to the kingdom’s border with Iraq and are seen in Riyadh as a grave threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security. This threat can be further institutionalized if these actors are able to politically cash in their victories against IS in the upcoming elections. The success of political entities trying to assert more independence from the Islamic Republic may create a new political landscape in Iraq that is far more favorable to Riyadh’s long-term interests.
*[This article was originally published by Gulf State Analytics, a partner institution of Fair Observer.]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
Photo Credit: Robert Hale / Shutterstock.com
UMER KARIM
Umer Karim is a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses primarily on Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy and internal politic
https://www.fairobserver.com/region...iddle-east-politics-2018-news-analysis-18999/
SPORTS
Saudi Arabia pick 41-year-old for match with Iraq
HASSINAN MUBARAK | Published — Tuesday 30 January 2018
Hussein Abdulghani will win his 135th cap for Saudi Arabia at the age of 41. (AP)
LONDON: Juan Antonio Pizzi has sprung a huge surprise by recalling two veterans, with a combined age of 78, to the national side to face Iraq in a friendly next month.
Defender Hussein Abdulghani, 41, and midfielder Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, 37, have been included in the XI named well advance of the match with their Gulf rivals at Basra Sports City stadium on Feb. 28. Abdulghani will play on the left side of a four-man defence while Al-Shlhoub will be play in the middle of a five-man midfield. A third veteran, Al-Nassr’s 34-year-old striker Hassan Al-Raheb, has been named on the bench. He won his last cap in 2009 in a friendly against Qatar.
At the other end of the spectrum, Abdulquddus Atiah, Saeed Al Robeai, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi and Abdulfattah Adam will all win their first caps, with Adam, the Saudi-born forward with parents from Niger, set to lead the line as a lone striker.
But it's the selections of Al-Shlhoub and Abdulghani that will grab the headlines.
Al-Shlhoub has played 117 times for Saudi Arabia but his last international came in 2012 under Frank Rijkaard in a World Cup qualifier against Australia in Melbourne. The playmaker has played at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was in the Asian Cup squad that reached the final of the 2000 Asian Cup in Beirut.
Abdulghani has made 134 appearances for Saudi Arabia and made his debut more than 20 years ago. He last played for his country in 2014 in an international friendly in Jeddah against Lebanon under the tenure of Spanish coach Juan Ramón López Caro. The left-sided defender currently plies his trade in the Bulgaria with FC Vereya. He made his debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Zambia in 1996 — a year before 20-year-old goalkeeper Atiah was even born. A few months later the defender won the 1996 Asian Cup at 19 and played in three World Cup finals in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Abdulghani is in fifth place in Saudi Arabia's all-time appearance list, 38 matches behind Mohammed Al-Deayea who leads the list with 172 matches. Al-Shlhoub is in 10th position and 12th in the all-time goal scoring charts with 19 goals.
Team to face Iraq
Abdulquddus Atiah; Hassan Muath, Saeed Al Robeai, Ahmed Assiri, Hussein Abdulghani; Ibrahim Ghaleb, Hattan Bahebri, Ahmed Al Fraidi, Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi; Abdulfattah Adam.
Substitues: Waleed Abdullah, Saeed Al Mowalad, Mohammed Jahfali, Abdullah Al Zouri, Waleed Bakshween, Mohammed Abousaban, Nasser Al Shamrani and Hassan Al-Raheb.
Squad for the training camp in Riyadh Feb. 21-27
Goalkeepers: Waleed Abdullah (Al-Nassr), Abdulquddus Atiah (Al-Fayha)
Defender: Hassan Muath (Al-Shabab), Saeed Al Robeai (Al-Faisaly), Ahmed Assiri (Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Abdullah Al Zouri (Al-Hilal), Hussein Abdulghani (FC Vereya, Bulgaria), Mohammed Jahfali (Al-Hilal), Saeed Al Mowalad (Al-Ahly Jeddah)
Midfielders: Waleed Bakshween (Al-Ahly Jeddah), Mohammed Abousaban (Al-Faisaly), Ibrahim Ghaleb (Al-Nassr), Ahmed Al Fraidi (Al-Nassr), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab), Mohammed Al Shlhoub (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi (Al-Ettifaq).
Forwards: Nasser Al Shamrani (Al-Shabab), Hassan Al Raheb (Al-Nassr), Abdulfattah Adam (Al-Taawun)
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1236001/sports
Saudi Arabia-Iraq sign cooperation agreements and increase trade in Riyadh
19JANUARY
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have signed bilateral cooperation agreements in various areas. Minister of Trade and Investment Majid al Qasabi, and the Iraqi Minister of Planning and Trade
Suleiman al Jumaili have signed the agreements, at the end of the work of the bilateral coordination Council that took place in Riyadh. The agreements include customs cooperation between the two countries and a memorandum on the reactivation of the bilateral coordination council committees. The agreement provides for the development of the Iraqi part of the Arar border port to strengthen the joint cooperation aimed at increasing the volume of trade between Riyadh and Baghdad. The Iraqi minister at Jumaili stressed that relations between the two countries "are witnessing great growth", finding in both countries "the political will to strengthen bilateral relations and trade through the development of border crossings and the restoration of roads ". For his part, the Saudi minister al Qasabi said that Riad will provide Iraq with technical support to allow Baghdad to join the World Trade Organization.https://www.prpchannel.com/en/PRP-c...ner-riad-agreements-co-rise-exchange-trading/
February 3, 2018 11:28
Iraqi army launches campaign to eliminate terrorists along Saudi Arabia border
Iraqi army is launching a campaign to eliminate ISIS fighters in Anbar, a province on the border with Saudi Arabia, TASS reported.
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 3, ARTSAKHPRESS:“The units of the army, the federal police, the Sunni tribal militia and border troops, with the support of the international anti-terrorist coalition aircraft, began a large-scale operation on Saturday to clean up desert territories in the Anbar province along the Iraqi-Saudi border,” Al Sumaria reported quoting Iraqi commander.
Minister of Iraq Haidar Al-Abadi announced the final defeat of the ISIS on December 10. Most of the militants took refuge in the desert area of Anbar province after the liberation of the Iraqi territories occupied since 2014.
https://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/80...ate-terrorists-along-saudi-arabia-border.html
Few terrorists in that border region (always was the case - 90% was near and around the Syrian border and less so Jordan so a bit surprised by this news) but if that is genuine news, KSA and Iraq are probably directly cooperating. Not probably but for sure. It mentions here the "international anti-terrorist coalition" of which KSA is a part of and Tabuk air base is close as well as the one in Hafar al-Batin.
Saudi Arabia wants to invest Iraqi gas
By
rami
-
February 3, 2018
An oil source revealed a desire to invest the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fields and the current exploration operations also in Anbar, adjacent to the city of Arar Saudi Arabia.
The source stressed that the Saudi side reiterated its desire to invest instead of Korean or Chinese companies, and that Iraq will deal with the issue according to the principle of benefit, not from a political framework, because the field is still subject to a previous contract with a Korean company and was frozen due to the security situation, In the event that there is a defect in either of them.
Iraq announced last November its control of the fire, which was ignited by “dodder” in the field of crutches, after withdrawing during the liberation of areas of Upper Euphrates and the desert island in the west of the country, after the arrival of special teams from the Ministry of Oil was able to extinguish the fire burning wells.
The oil ministry has already announced a plan to raise Iraq’s natural gas production to three times in 2018 by 1700 million cubic feet per day. Oil Minister Jabbar al-Allaibi said gas production would rise to 1,700 million cubic feet per day in 2018.
Last year, Iraq began exporting gas liquids from Basrah Gas Company, a joint venture between South Gas, Shell and Mitsubishi.
“Saudi Arabia’s expertise in the field of gas is not the same in the field of oil, but its attempt to preempt companies and countries and put its investment in the field of gas in Akbar in Anbar may be linked to the proximity of it, as well as trying to establish a successful project in the country is the nucleus of economic weight Her in Iraq. ”
He pointed out that there are other countries in the region may also intervene in the event of the field to invest effectively, and ultimately the whole subject is linked to the security file in Iraq in general, and that region in particular, especially as it is close to the Syrian border.
http://en.economiciraq.com/2018/02/03/saudi-arabia-wants-to-invest-iraqi-gas/
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Sunday 28 January 2018 at 10:05 am
Saudi Arabia’s authorities are ready to give financial aid to Iraq’s reconstruction, a member of the Saudi cabinet’s advisory committee said on Sunday.
“The kingdom is ready to allocate financial aid for the reconstruction of Iraq, but is waiting for guarantees from Baghdad on the fate of the grant,” Eshki said in an interview with Sky Press.
“The Kingdom has expressed its willingness to participate in the upcoming Iraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait (12-14 February), but on several conditions, I have not called it yet, but I believe that the Saudi government wants the Iraqi decision to be sovereign.”
He pointed out that “Iraq is under the influence of Iran and other countries, and Saudi Arabia wants to know where to use the grant funds,” stressing that his country “will not hesitate” to help Iraq.
He explained that Riyadh is providing assistance to many countries with the guarantees of the World Bank and other international parties, “for reassurance about the fate of Saudi aid”.
Kuwait, Iraq, the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank are expected to host an international conference for the reconstruction of Iraq’s restored areas. The conference is expected to be attended by more than 70 Arab and foreign countries and regional and international donor organizations. In the work of the Conference.
http://iraqidinarchat.net/?p=51699
A lot of positive news and great levels of cooperation so quickly into the "normalization".
Some interesting articles written by competent people, especially the first one. Not the typical news.
Not sure if the tagging works but will try.
@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy @Malik Alashter @Iraqiya
@The SC
Last edited:
Saif al-Arab
BANNED
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2015
- Messages
- 8,873
- Reaction score
- 5
- Country
- Location
An even better and much more detailed article published 2 days ago. Agree with a lot of it.
A NEW ERA BECKONS FOR IRAQI-SAUDI RELATIONS
MEHIYAR KATHEM
FEBRUARY 2, 2018
Iraq is witnessing a rare moment of confidence. The defeat of the Islamic State in the country, along with the Iraqi government’s proactive measures to prevent conflict from erupting over territorial claims by separatist Kurds, has helped Iraq start to pull itself out of the abyss. An important but frequently overlooked subplot of this story is that Iraqi-Saudi ties are warmer than they have been in three decades — the partial result of a U.S. policy gambit.
The recent thaw in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq marks a key policy change. The United States and Saudi Arabia see the need for a strong Iraq to counter Iran’s expansionism and to bring a semblance of stability to a conflict-prone region. America’s policy towards Iraq now relies heavily on forging a strong Saudi-Iraqi partnership, which relieves the U.S. government from having to fund Iraq’s rebuilding. America’s new approach envisages closer security and economic cooperation between Iraq and its Gulf neighbors, working together to reverse the destructive sectarianism of the past few years. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has capitalized on this change, turning it into an opportunity to seek regional support to address his country’s urgent reconstruction needs.
For war-ravaged Iraq, Saudi Arabia’s engagement bodes well. Iraqi leaders believe the relationship could lead to much-needed aid to rebuild its war-devastated provinces and stabilize Sunni-dominated areas of the country. Saudi Arabia, for its part, may share some of these goals, but its long-term vision is to fundamentally shift Iraqi politics away from being dominated by Iran. If rapprochement focuses on long-term partnership rather than merely diplomatic tête-à-tête, a new Saudi-Iraq relationship could fundamentally transform the region. Revitalized relations could strengthen the prosperity of both countries and help bring Iraq closer to its Arab kith with a view toward building a new security and economic environment in Iraq and the Northern Gulf. Any real change of the type envisaged by this new relationship will have to benefit ordinary Iraqis, something that could be realized by supporting Iraq’s rebuilding efforts and civil society sector.
A Complex History and a Recent Thaw
Since the Gulf War in 1991, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq have been severely limited. Given the invasion of Kuwait and Iraq’s isolation under sanctions, it was only in 2003 that a new political opening appeared on the horizon. Even then, relations did not improve, since Saudi Arabia feared the rise of Shiite political parties whose interests were increasingly seen to be tied to Iran, its regional rival.
A number of factors have converged recently to make Saudi Arabia reconsider its relationship with Iraq. Key factors in the rapprochement include the defeat of the Islamic State, the failure of the Kurdish referendum to carve out an independent state, and Iraq’s reconstruction needs — which are an opportunity to rebuild Iraq in ways that will help shift the balance of power away from Iran. Political willingness on behalf of the Abadi government has also been an important reason for this thaw. The prime minister’s position toward Saudi Arabia differs markedly from that of his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, who maintained a close relationship with Iran for several years. Securing a presence in the country, particularly before May’s 2018 elections, has also been a motivating factor for Saudi Arabia. In other words, it is in Saudi Arabia’s interest to support Iraq’s reconstruction and stability, which it views as a way to drive a wedge between Iraq’s Shiite elites and Iranian interests in the country.
In recent months, the opening of the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad and a consulate in Najaf, the rehabilitation of the Arar Border Crossing and the start of regular flights between the countries, in all cases the first since 1990, have attested to this warming of relations. Saudi Arabia’s recent participation in the Baghdad International Fair, which saw the participation of 60 Saudi companies, was also a welcome sign of an improved relationship. The international donor and investment conference, to be held in Kuwait this month, will mark a key milestone in the improving relationship between Iraq and its Arab Gulf regional neighbors.
Security and reconstruction top the agenda of the new Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council, inaugurated last year in Riyadh and intended to strengthen ties between the two countries. Partnerships within this still-tentative agenda are aimed at improving cooperation on student and cultural exchanges, investment in oil and gas, trade, and agricultural exports. But beyond separate bilateral agreements on these issues, a key aim of the Coordination Council, as envisaged by Saudi Arabia and the United States, is to extract Iraq from the clutches of Iran. Washington and Riyadh believe that reconstruction funding, if strategically invested, can be a way to improve Baghdad’s relations with its Arab neighbors. Since the United States has little appetite for engaging in Iraq’s reconstruction, it has encouraged Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners to participate in those efforts. The United States has promised its full support to the Saudi-Iraqi partnership, investing political resources into this endeavor.
Reconstruction also has security implications: Iraq’s reconstruction using Gulf funding is seen as a way to transform Iraq’s political alliances. Supporting efforts to incorporate Iraq into the existing security framework of the Gulf by improving its relationship with Saudi Arabia will fulfill a key U.S. objective in the region. This is part of a wider American strategy to isolate the Iranian government and limit its expansionist presence in Arab countries.
The Iranian Challenge
While Saudi Arabia has been until recently largely absent from meaningful engagement in Iraq, Iran has forged extensive ties to Iraq’s political elites and has deep interests in the country. For political elites in Baghdad, Iran has been a reliable, and even indispensable, partner, using its military and intelligence resources to win favor and patrons in the country. It has provided military support to the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in its time of need as well as the Popular Mobilization Forces, which were crucial in defeating the Islamic State.
The task of shifting politics in Iraq away from the orbit of Iranian interests is a daunting one and requires a transformation of Saudi Arabia’s political engagement with Iraq. Iran’s interests run deep in Iraq. Iraq represents a lucrative exports market, worth over $12 billion annually, which has helped bring billions in precious foreign currency into the Iranian economy. Iran’s privileged trade position in Iraq is also a result of its extensive political networks and influence over politics. From the shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf to the large markets in Basra and Baghdad, Iranian products dominate consumer markets. Alongside its ability to win government contracts from Iraqi government ministries — also worth billions — Iran has reaped enormous riches from Iraq since 2003. Any real partnership between Saudi Arabia and Iraq will have to evolve in the context of Iran’s economic dominance.
As far as Iran is concerned, any real outside investments in Iraq’s industries could eventually upend its advantage. After four decades of war, Iraq’s domestic non-oil industries are dilapidated or non-existent. Any money that the Iraqi government has will probably not go into supporting industry but rather to basic infrastructure rebuilding. For Iran, this is good news, since if the Iraqi government cannot support its own industries and enterprises, the markets remain open for Iranian exporters.
Opportunities and Challenges for Saudi Arabia
The burgeoning Saudi-Iraq partnership could help stimulate change for Iraq’s industries and help counter Iran’s political and economic domination. Saudi Arabia’s own resources, along with its impressive ability to tap into international capital, could strengthen domestic private sector development and provide support to capital-starved Iraqi businesses eager to service their own domestic markets. While this may not happen over the short term, Iraq offers substantial investment opportunities for those who know how to navigate the country’s complex bureaucracy. In this context, Saudi Arabia as well as its Gulf partners, are encouraging private-sector companies in the region to participate in rebuilding, which increasingly seems to be supporting Saudi-Iraq rapprochement.
Joint investment projects, focusing on strengthening economic integration, could herald a new age for cooperation. Planned investments in Iraq’s consumer markets and natural resources are a promising sign of improved relations. Such large projects, which are desperately needed in Iraq, will help stabilize the country, address social malaise, and provide a necessary check on Iran’s hegemonic control of the country’s economy. These areas of cooperation will obviously focus on oil and gas, but should also include more pro-employment activities such as transport, agriculture, education, and light industries.
Ploughing money to balance elite power struggles between Shia and Sunni groups in the country, as Saudi Arabia has done before, will not solve anything. Saudi Arabia should look to long-term, sustainable partnerships with the government of Iraq rather than siding with one political group. An approach that supports non-sectarian political groups will appease Sunni politicians in the country while weakening Iran’s dominance. Saudi Arabia’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the country, particularly before May’s national elections, underlines its seriousness about working with Iraq’s political groups. Riyadh’s support will also inadvertently boost Iraq’s increasingly nationalistic politics, which has been one of the defining outcomes of the war on the Islamic State.
Iran is closely watching Saudi Arabia’s first steps. Sunni politicians in Iraq have privately stated to me that Iran does not want Saudi Arabia to shift the balance of power in Baghdad. It fears that any large infrastructure projects funded by the Saudi government, particularly in the southern part of the country, would undermine Iran’s dominant position in Baghdad and Basra, and prefers to have Saudi money be used to rebuild war-affected provinces. In this context, the government of Iraq would do well to position Saudi Arabia as an indispensable partner to the country’s rebuilding.
How Riyadh Can Bolster Its Image in Iraq
Iran will not allow another key regional country such as Saudi Arabia to enter Iraq aggressively without a fight. While it will be the onus of the Iraqi government to offer the necessary protection and support, Saudi Arabia will have to actively strengthen its image across Iraq’s social and political landscape. Winning the support of the Iraqi population will be the surest way to protect the long-term interests of any Saudi-Iraq partnership.
To contrast itself with Iran, whose name and support to Shiite militia groups in the country creates a sense of apprehension among many ordinary Iraqis, Saudi Arabia would do well to build diplomatic and cultural ties to the Iraqi people. Recent polls in Iraq indicate that the population holds a negative view of Iran’s role in the country. Winning the trust of Iraq’s diverse social and cultural groups will establish the necessary foundations on which Saudi Arabia can build a credible partnership. The effort to build a partnership of the type envisaged by the Saudi-Iraq Economic Council will take place in a socially and politically fragmented country, with multiple and competing sites of power. Working in a top-down fashion will be inadequate. It is therefore not surprising that the new Saudi-Iraq Co-operation Council will also focus on cultural partnerships between the two countries across a number of fields.
Without active public outreach, Saudi Arabia could find it difficult to shed its image of being party to the terrorism that has cost Iraq billions and affected millions of lives during the past few years. In particular, Saudi Arabia has found it difficult to shed its image of being a sponsor of terrorism and radical Wahhabism in the region, which underpinned the ideological footing of al Qaeda in Iraq and later, the Islamic State. Some private donations to the Islamic State have allegedly come from Saudi Arabia, which has contributed to destabilizing Iraq and the wider region. It is not surprising that over the past few years, and especially from 2003, Saudi Arabia’s image in Iraq, in both Sunni and Shia areas, has become closely linked with terrorism and the terrible damage it has wrought. Improving relations would probably require Iraq’s economically richer neighbor to spearhead trust-building activities, overcome religious political and divides, and work to build cultural ties between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia should seriously consider managing a long-term grants scheme to support domestic Iraqi nongovernmental organizations, many of which have deeper links to their constituencies than the often-disconnected Iraqi political elites and the state institutions they control. Providing support to Iraq’s numerous grassroots organizations could radically transform aid giving in the region, proving Saudi Arabia’s keen interest in distancing itself from a history of sectional, religious, and political funding. Currently, there are over 3,000 NGOs registered with the Iraqi NGO Directorate, the government’s regulatory body. Working with these NGOs across the country and potentially partnering with the directorate in Baghdad to facilitate this will be a great step forward for Saudi-Iraq relations.
Small grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 could be a cost-effective way to build trust and improve Saudi Arabia’s image in Iraq. Projects could focus on peaceful and religious co-existence and cultural diversity, but also possibly community oriented “quick-fix” activities that emphasize small-scale rebuilding. Factoring in Iraqi ownership on these projects will enhance efforts to build credible ties between the two countries. Funding peaceful cultural-based nongovernmental activity will help Iraq transition to a post-conflict environment in which Saudi Arabia is viewed as a credible long-term partner, galvanizing support from the grassroots and buttressing improved relations from the bottom up.
A professionally managed Saudi cultural initiative in Iraq would go a long way to counter Iran’s cultural diplomacy and religious activities, which started in 2003. Iran’s activity has included student exchanges, free trips to Iran’s key religious sites, support to militia and political party NGOs, and efforts to spread Iran’s religious views of Shiite Islam across Iraq’s mosques and schools. The use of public spaces in this regard has recently seen a backlash against Iranian encroachment, a sign of lingering frustration of Iran’s role in the country. Muqtada al Sadr’s visit to meet with Crown Prince Salman last year was also a major event, representing shifting alliances and the advent of a new, non-sectarian politics emerging in Iraq. A leader of Iraq’s poor Shia communities, al Sadr’s visit to the Kingdom sends a clear signal that Shia political leaders are willing to work with Saudi Arabia. Al Sadr’s noted anti-Iranian and nationalist politics, as well as his expansive Sadrist Movement and network of local activists, could be a valuable asset to the Saudi-Iraq partnership.
Working with the people of Iraq directly through community-based and non-governmental organizations could fast-track Saudi’s presence as a reliable partner. Supporting non-religious and non-political projects could be part of the Kingdom’s broader new turn to “moderate Islam.” Cultural, vocational, educational, and humanitarian support should all be considered part of this initiative. Such efforts, if designed in a context of improved relations over the long term, should strengthen Saudi Arabia’s standing at an important time for Iraq’s rebuilding.
America has done well to bring together Iraq and Saudi Arabia with a view to stabilize the region. By bringing the two countries closer together, the United States will realize key regional goals: improving the security of the Northern Gulf and incorporating Iraq into an existing security framework, as well as helping the war-devastated country utilize reconstruction funds from its Gulf neighbors. Making good on this new friendship will not be easy, however. Years of mistrust and the absence of a credible Arab partner in post-2003 Iraqi politics means Saudi Arabia is playing catch-up. The tasks ahead are fraught with challenges, especially in light of the fierce competition that any such partnership will experience. As such, the focus should surely be on making ordinary Iraqis, who have suffered from four decades of war, directly benefit from any proposals for change.
Dr. Mehiyar Kathem is Research Associate at University College London. He recently completed a PhD program at the School of Oriental and African Studies where he researched peacebuilding interventions and the formation of Iraq’s domestic NGO sector after the 2003 war. He can be reached at m.kathem@ucl.ac.uk and tweets from @mehiyar.
Image: State Department
https://warontherocks.com/2018/02/a-new-era-beckons-for-iraqi-saudi-relations/
A NEW ERA BECKONS FOR IRAQI-SAUDI RELATIONS
MEHIYAR KATHEM
FEBRUARY 2, 2018
Iraq is witnessing a rare moment of confidence. The defeat of the Islamic State in the country, along with the Iraqi government’s proactive measures to prevent conflict from erupting over territorial claims by separatist Kurds, has helped Iraq start to pull itself out of the abyss. An important but frequently overlooked subplot of this story is that Iraqi-Saudi ties are warmer than they have been in three decades — the partial result of a U.S. policy gambit.
The recent thaw in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq marks a key policy change. The United States and Saudi Arabia see the need for a strong Iraq to counter Iran’s expansionism and to bring a semblance of stability to a conflict-prone region. America’s policy towards Iraq now relies heavily on forging a strong Saudi-Iraqi partnership, which relieves the U.S. government from having to fund Iraq’s rebuilding. America’s new approach envisages closer security and economic cooperation between Iraq and its Gulf neighbors, working together to reverse the destructive sectarianism of the past few years. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has capitalized on this change, turning it into an opportunity to seek regional support to address his country’s urgent reconstruction needs.
For war-ravaged Iraq, Saudi Arabia’s engagement bodes well. Iraqi leaders believe the relationship could lead to much-needed aid to rebuild its war-devastated provinces and stabilize Sunni-dominated areas of the country. Saudi Arabia, for its part, may share some of these goals, but its long-term vision is to fundamentally shift Iraqi politics away from being dominated by Iran. If rapprochement focuses on long-term partnership rather than merely diplomatic tête-à-tête, a new Saudi-Iraq relationship could fundamentally transform the region. Revitalized relations could strengthen the prosperity of both countries and help bring Iraq closer to its Arab kith with a view toward building a new security and economic environment in Iraq and the Northern Gulf. Any real change of the type envisaged by this new relationship will have to benefit ordinary Iraqis, something that could be realized by supporting Iraq’s rebuilding efforts and civil society sector.
A Complex History and a Recent Thaw
Since the Gulf War in 1991, relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq have been severely limited. Given the invasion of Kuwait and Iraq’s isolation under sanctions, it was only in 2003 that a new political opening appeared on the horizon. Even then, relations did not improve, since Saudi Arabia feared the rise of Shiite political parties whose interests were increasingly seen to be tied to Iran, its regional rival.
A number of factors have converged recently to make Saudi Arabia reconsider its relationship with Iraq. Key factors in the rapprochement include the defeat of the Islamic State, the failure of the Kurdish referendum to carve out an independent state, and Iraq’s reconstruction needs — which are an opportunity to rebuild Iraq in ways that will help shift the balance of power away from Iran. Political willingness on behalf of the Abadi government has also been an important reason for this thaw. The prime minister’s position toward Saudi Arabia differs markedly from that of his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, who maintained a close relationship with Iran for several years. Securing a presence in the country, particularly before May’s 2018 elections, has also been a motivating factor for Saudi Arabia. In other words, it is in Saudi Arabia’s interest to support Iraq’s reconstruction and stability, which it views as a way to drive a wedge between Iraq’s Shiite elites and Iranian interests in the country.
In recent months, the opening of the Saudi Embassy in Baghdad and a consulate in Najaf, the rehabilitation of the Arar Border Crossing and the start of regular flights between the countries, in all cases the first since 1990, have attested to this warming of relations. Saudi Arabia’s recent participation in the Baghdad International Fair, which saw the participation of 60 Saudi companies, was also a welcome sign of an improved relationship. The international donor and investment conference, to be held in Kuwait this month, will mark a key milestone in the improving relationship between Iraq and its Arab Gulf regional neighbors.
Security and reconstruction top the agenda of the new Saudi Arabia-Iraq Coordination Council, inaugurated last year in Riyadh and intended to strengthen ties between the two countries. Partnerships within this still-tentative agenda are aimed at improving cooperation on student and cultural exchanges, investment in oil and gas, trade, and agricultural exports. But beyond separate bilateral agreements on these issues, a key aim of the Coordination Council, as envisaged by Saudi Arabia and the United States, is to extract Iraq from the clutches of Iran. Washington and Riyadh believe that reconstruction funding, if strategically invested, can be a way to improve Baghdad’s relations with its Arab neighbors. Since the United States has little appetite for engaging in Iraq’s reconstruction, it has encouraged Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners to participate in those efforts. The United States has promised its full support to the Saudi-Iraqi partnership, investing political resources into this endeavor.
Reconstruction also has security implications: Iraq’s reconstruction using Gulf funding is seen as a way to transform Iraq’s political alliances. Supporting efforts to incorporate Iraq into the existing security framework of the Gulf by improving its relationship with Saudi Arabia will fulfill a key U.S. objective in the region. This is part of a wider American strategy to isolate the Iranian government and limit its expansionist presence in Arab countries.
The Iranian Challenge
While Saudi Arabia has been until recently largely absent from meaningful engagement in Iraq, Iran has forged extensive ties to Iraq’s political elites and has deep interests in the country. For political elites in Baghdad, Iran has been a reliable, and even indispensable, partner, using its military and intelligence resources to win favor and patrons in the country. It has provided military support to the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in its time of need as well as the Popular Mobilization Forces, which were crucial in defeating the Islamic State.
The task of shifting politics in Iraq away from the orbit of Iranian interests is a daunting one and requires a transformation of Saudi Arabia’s political engagement with Iraq. Iran’s interests run deep in Iraq. Iraq represents a lucrative exports market, worth over $12 billion annually, which has helped bring billions in precious foreign currency into the Iranian economy. Iran’s privileged trade position in Iraq is also a result of its extensive political networks and influence over politics. From the shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf to the large markets in Basra and Baghdad, Iranian products dominate consumer markets. Alongside its ability to win government contracts from Iraqi government ministries — also worth billions — Iran has reaped enormous riches from Iraq since 2003. Any real partnership between Saudi Arabia and Iraq will have to evolve in the context of Iran’s economic dominance.
As far as Iran is concerned, any real outside investments in Iraq’s industries could eventually upend its advantage. After four decades of war, Iraq’s domestic non-oil industries are dilapidated or non-existent. Any money that the Iraqi government has will probably not go into supporting industry but rather to basic infrastructure rebuilding. For Iran, this is good news, since if the Iraqi government cannot support its own industries and enterprises, the markets remain open for Iranian exporters.
Opportunities and Challenges for Saudi Arabia
The burgeoning Saudi-Iraq partnership could help stimulate change for Iraq’s industries and help counter Iran’s political and economic domination. Saudi Arabia’s own resources, along with its impressive ability to tap into international capital, could strengthen domestic private sector development and provide support to capital-starved Iraqi businesses eager to service their own domestic markets. While this may not happen over the short term, Iraq offers substantial investment opportunities for those who know how to navigate the country’s complex bureaucracy. In this context, Saudi Arabia as well as its Gulf partners, are encouraging private-sector companies in the region to participate in rebuilding, which increasingly seems to be supporting Saudi-Iraq rapprochement.
Joint investment projects, focusing on strengthening economic integration, could herald a new age for cooperation. Planned investments in Iraq’s consumer markets and natural resources are a promising sign of improved relations. Such large projects, which are desperately needed in Iraq, will help stabilize the country, address social malaise, and provide a necessary check on Iran’s hegemonic control of the country’s economy. These areas of cooperation will obviously focus on oil and gas, but should also include more pro-employment activities such as transport, agriculture, education, and light industries.
Ploughing money to balance elite power struggles between Shia and Sunni groups in the country, as Saudi Arabia has done before, will not solve anything. Saudi Arabia should look to long-term, sustainable partnerships with the government of Iraq rather than siding with one political group. An approach that supports non-sectarian political groups will appease Sunni politicians in the country while weakening Iran’s dominance. Saudi Arabia’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the country, particularly before May’s national elections, underlines its seriousness about working with Iraq’s political groups. Riyadh’s support will also inadvertently boost Iraq’s increasingly nationalistic politics, which has been one of the defining outcomes of the war on the Islamic State.
Iran is closely watching Saudi Arabia’s first steps. Sunni politicians in Iraq have privately stated to me that Iran does not want Saudi Arabia to shift the balance of power in Baghdad. It fears that any large infrastructure projects funded by the Saudi government, particularly in the southern part of the country, would undermine Iran’s dominant position in Baghdad and Basra, and prefers to have Saudi money be used to rebuild war-affected provinces. In this context, the government of Iraq would do well to position Saudi Arabia as an indispensable partner to the country’s rebuilding.
How Riyadh Can Bolster Its Image in Iraq
Iran will not allow another key regional country such as Saudi Arabia to enter Iraq aggressively without a fight. While it will be the onus of the Iraqi government to offer the necessary protection and support, Saudi Arabia will have to actively strengthen its image across Iraq’s social and political landscape. Winning the support of the Iraqi population will be the surest way to protect the long-term interests of any Saudi-Iraq partnership.
To contrast itself with Iran, whose name and support to Shiite militia groups in the country creates a sense of apprehension among many ordinary Iraqis, Saudi Arabia would do well to build diplomatic and cultural ties to the Iraqi people. Recent polls in Iraq indicate that the population holds a negative view of Iran’s role in the country. Winning the trust of Iraq’s diverse social and cultural groups will establish the necessary foundations on which Saudi Arabia can build a credible partnership. The effort to build a partnership of the type envisaged by the Saudi-Iraq Economic Council will take place in a socially and politically fragmented country, with multiple and competing sites of power. Working in a top-down fashion will be inadequate. It is therefore not surprising that the new Saudi-Iraq Co-operation Council will also focus on cultural partnerships between the two countries across a number of fields.
Without active public outreach, Saudi Arabia could find it difficult to shed its image of being party to the terrorism that has cost Iraq billions and affected millions of lives during the past few years. In particular, Saudi Arabia has found it difficult to shed its image of being a sponsor of terrorism and radical Wahhabism in the region, which underpinned the ideological footing of al Qaeda in Iraq and later, the Islamic State. Some private donations to the Islamic State have allegedly come from Saudi Arabia, which has contributed to destabilizing Iraq and the wider region. It is not surprising that over the past few years, and especially from 2003, Saudi Arabia’s image in Iraq, in both Sunni and Shia areas, has become closely linked with terrorism and the terrible damage it has wrought. Improving relations would probably require Iraq’s economically richer neighbor to spearhead trust-building activities, overcome religious political and divides, and work to build cultural ties between the two countries.
Saudi Arabia should seriously consider managing a long-term grants scheme to support domestic Iraqi nongovernmental organizations, many of which have deeper links to their constituencies than the often-disconnected Iraqi political elites and the state institutions they control. Providing support to Iraq’s numerous grassroots organizations could radically transform aid giving in the region, proving Saudi Arabia’s keen interest in distancing itself from a history of sectional, religious, and political funding. Currently, there are over 3,000 NGOs registered with the Iraqi NGO Directorate, the government’s regulatory body. Working with these NGOs across the country and potentially partnering with the directorate in Baghdad to facilitate this will be a great step forward for Saudi-Iraq relations.
Small grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 could be a cost-effective way to build trust and improve Saudi Arabia’s image in Iraq. Projects could focus on peaceful and religious co-existence and cultural diversity, but also possibly community oriented “quick-fix” activities that emphasize small-scale rebuilding. Factoring in Iraqi ownership on these projects will enhance efforts to build credible ties between the two countries. Funding peaceful cultural-based nongovernmental activity will help Iraq transition to a post-conflict environment in which Saudi Arabia is viewed as a credible long-term partner, galvanizing support from the grassroots and buttressing improved relations from the bottom up.
A professionally managed Saudi cultural initiative in Iraq would go a long way to counter Iran’s cultural diplomacy and religious activities, which started in 2003. Iran’s activity has included student exchanges, free trips to Iran’s key religious sites, support to militia and political party NGOs, and efforts to spread Iran’s religious views of Shiite Islam across Iraq’s mosques and schools. The use of public spaces in this regard has recently seen a backlash against Iranian encroachment, a sign of lingering frustration of Iran’s role in the country. Muqtada al Sadr’s visit to meet with Crown Prince Salman last year was also a major event, representing shifting alliances and the advent of a new, non-sectarian politics emerging in Iraq. A leader of Iraq’s poor Shia communities, al Sadr’s visit to the Kingdom sends a clear signal that Shia political leaders are willing to work with Saudi Arabia. Al Sadr’s noted anti-Iranian and nationalist politics, as well as his expansive Sadrist Movement and network of local activists, could be a valuable asset to the Saudi-Iraq partnership.
Working with the people of Iraq directly through community-based and non-governmental organizations could fast-track Saudi’s presence as a reliable partner. Supporting non-religious and non-political projects could be part of the Kingdom’s broader new turn to “moderate Islam.” Cultural, vocational, educational, and humanitarian support should all be considered part of this initiative. Such efforts, if designed in a context of improved relations over the long term, should strengthen Saudi Arabia’s standing at an important time for Iraq’s rebuilding.
America has done well to bring together Iraq and Saudi Arabia with a view to stabilize the region. By bringing the two countries closer together, the United States will realize key regional goals: improving the security of the Northern Gulf and incorporating Iraq into an existing security framework, as well as helping the war-devastated country utilize reconstruction funds from its Gulf neighbors. Making good on this new friendship will not be easy, however. Years of mistrust and the absence of a credible Arab partner in post-2003 Iraqi politics means Saudi Arabia is playing catch-up. The tasks ahead are fraught with challenges, especially in light of the fierce competition that any such partnership will experience. As such, the focus should surely be on making ordinary Iraqis, who have suffered from four decades of war, directly benefit from any proposals for change.
Dr. Mehiyar Kathem is Research Associate at University College London. He recently completed a PhD program at the School of Oriental and African Studies where he researched peacebuilding interventions and the formation of Iraq’s domestic NGO sector after the 2003 war. He can be reached at m.kathem@ucl.ac.uk and tweets from @mehiyar.
Image: State Department
https://warontherocks.com/2018/02/a-new-era-beckons-for-iraqi-saudi-relations/
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The reconstruction of Iraq will take time bro.. but I like the Saudi initiatives..they are very encouraging to our brothers in Iraq who have suffered tremendously from war or should I say wars!Will Iraq Realign Toward Saudi Arabia in 2018?
UMER KARIM
JANUARY 17, 2018
Saudi Arabia is focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links
Since King Salman ascended to the throne three years ago, Saudi foreign policy has become increasingly muscular, underscored by the ongoing crises in Yemen and Qatar. The rise of Iranian influence in the Middle East has been the prime factor driving this Saudi approach to regional issues. Of all the political fronts where Riyadh is attempting to counter Tehran, the Saudis have managed to achieve a significant degree of success in Iraq.
The invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 by the United States and the United Kingdom changed the fortunes of the country’s Shia political forces. Soon after Saddam Hussein fell, Shia factions emerged as the dominant power component in Iraqi politics. Iran managed to leverage this shift by influencing different Shia blocks to coalesce and form a government. During the successive governments of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iran became the prime player in Iraqi politics.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia did not assertively contest Iran’s involvement in Iraq. Although Sunnis constitute Iraq’s second largest polity, their influence in Iraqi politics has been on the decline since 2003. This has been partially due to a reluctance of regional Sunni powers, specifically Saudi Arabia, to engage in Iraq and to support the political interests of Iraqi Sunnis. Saudi Arabia had traditionally maintained links with Sunni tribal elites in the Anbar province. Yet this engagement was never strategic in nature and did not change the political fortunes of Iraqi Sunnis. Riyadh had practically given up on Iraq and, until recently, considered its government an Iranian proxy.
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) have effectively changed Riyadh’s strategies and launched a charm offensive to connect with Iraq’s present government. This shift is due partially to Haider al-Abadi’s rise to the rank of prime minister. Abadi has taken a somewhat nationalistic stance on political issues concerning Baghdad and has positively engaged with all of Iraq’s neighbors. This mutual willingness to improve the relationship resulted in Saudi Arabia appointing its first ambassador to Iraq since Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.
Relations entered troubled waters again, however, when Iraq’s government requested that Saudi Arabia replace the kingdom’s ambassador following his controversial statements about Iran’s involvement in Iraq. The Saudis acted pragmatically and recalled their ambassador but did not suspend their diplomatic representation in Iraq, and the strain in bilateral ties created by the ouster gradually eased. Visits by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji and also by Abadi were instrumental to this end. Moreover, the Saudis realized that the enormous power of Shia militant groups in Iraq could not be countered openly, but instead required a pragmatic policy of a deeper engagement that included nationalistic elements.
The defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul and other cities by Iraqi security forces has further prompted Baghdad and Riyadh to move toward rapprochement. Saudi Arabia has a unique opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of Iraq’s major Sunni areas, thereby obtaining stakes in future relations between the country’s Shia polity and the Sunni minority. This dynamic, coupled with the reality that numerous Iraqi officials are seeking to assert Baghdad’s independence from Tehran’s foreign policy and espouse an increasingly nationalistic political discourse in Iraq’s post-IS chapter may ultimately enable Riyadh to achieve some degree of success in terms of limiting Iran’s role in Iraq.
For the first time in 11 years, prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr visited Riyadh in July 2017, where he agreed with the Saudi leadership on the goal of peaceful coexistence and cooperation for the achievement of common interests. Saudi Arabia already enjoys cordial ties with prominent Iraqi politician and Vice President Iyad Allawi, who had accused Iran of interfering in Iraq. Saudis are focusing not only on forging political ties with Iraq, but also on strengthening bilateral trade and economic links. Officials in Riyadh realize that a long-term relationship with Iraq can be viable only if it is rooted in an economic partnership. Saudi Arabia’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad has stressed that his priority was to promote economic engagement between the two states while initiating interaction between business elites on both sides. Within this context, Saudi Arabia finally decided to appoint a full-time ambassador to Iraq.
Riyadh is aware that the prospects for limiting Iranian influence in Iraq will be more realistic once Saudi Arabia plays its political and economic cards in the correct combination and at the right time. This opportune moment appears to be the Iraqi elections of 2018. There has been a convergence of interests on the part of both Iraqi political entities and the kingdom with Mohammed bin Salman at the helm. Riyadh ultimately wants an Iraq ruled by the likes of Abadi, Allawi and Sadr — not Iran-allied players.
Moreover, a major concern for Saudi Arabia is the host of heavily armed Shia militias, some of which operate close to the kingdom’s border with Iraq and are seen in Riyadh as a grave threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security. This threat can be further institutionalized if these actors are able to politically cash in their victories against IS in the upcoming elections. The success of political entities trying to assert more independence from the Islamic Republic may create a new political landscape in Iraq that is far more favorable to Riyadh’s long-term interests.
*[This article was originally published by Gulf State Analytics, a partner institution of Fair Observer.]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
Photo Credit: Robert Hale / Shutterstock.com
UMER KARIM
Umer Karim is a PhD researcher at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses primarily on Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy and internal politic
https://www.fairobserver.com/region...iddle-east-politics-2018-news-analysis-18999/
SPORTS
Saudi Arabia pick 41-year-old for match with Iraq
HASSINAN MUBARAK | Published — Tuesday 30 January 2018
Hussein Abdulghani will win his 135th cap for Saudi Arabia at the age of 41. (AP)
LONDON: Juan Antonio Pizzi has sprung a huge surprise by recalling two veterans, with a combined age of 78, to the national side to face Iraq in a friendly next month.
Defender Hussein Abdulghani, 41, and midfielder Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, 37, have been included in the XI named well advance of the match with their Gulf rivals at Basra Sports City stadium on Feb. 28. Abdulghani will play on the left side of a four-man defence while Al-Shlhoub will be play in the middle of a five-man midfield. A third veteran, Al-Nassr’s 34-year-old striker Hassan Al-Raheb, has been named on the bench. He won his last cap in 2009 in a friendly against Qatar.
At the other end of the spectrum, Abdulquddus Atiah, Saeed Al Robeai, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi and Abdulfattah Adam will all win their first caps, with Adam, the Saudi-born forward with parents from Niger, set to lead the line as a lone striker.
But it's the selections of Al-Shlhoub and Abdulghani that will grab the headlines.
Al-Shlhoub has played 117 times for Saudi Arabia but his last international came in 2012 under Frank Rijkaard in a World Cup qualifier against Australia in Melbourne. The playmaker has played at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was in the Asian Cup squad that reached the final of the 2000 Asian Cup in Beirut.
Abdulghani has made 134 appearances for Saudi Arabia and made his debut more than 20 years ago. He last played for his country in 2014 in an international friendly in Jeddah against Lebanon under the tenure of Spanish coach Juan Ramón López Caro. The left-sided defender currently plies his trade in the Bulgaria with FC Vereya. He made his debut in a 2-1 friendly win over Zambia in 1996 — a year before 20-year-old goalkeeper Atiah was even born. A few months later the defender won the 1996 Asian Cup at 19 and played in three World Cup finals in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Abdulghani is in fifth place in Saudi Arabia's all-time appearance list, 38 matches behind Mohammed Al-Deayea who leads the list with 172 matches. Al-Shlhoub is in 10th position and 12th in the all-time goal scoring charts with 19 goals.
Team to face Iraq
Abdulquddus Atiah; Hassan Muath, Saeed Al Robeai, Ahmed Assiri, Hussein Abdulghani; Ibrahim Ghaleb, Hattan Bahebri, Ahmed Al Fraidi, Mohammed Al-Shlhoub, Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi; Abdulfattah Adam.
Substitues: Waleed Abdullah, Saeed Al Mowalad, Mohammed Jahfali, Abdullah Al Zouri, Waleed Bakshween, Mohammed Abousaban, Nasser Al Shamrani and Hassan Al-Raheb.
Squad for the training camp in Riyadh Feb. 21-27
Goalkeepers: Waleed Abdullah (Al-Nassr), Abdulquddus Atiah (Al-Fayha)
Defender: Hassan Muath (Al-Shabab), Saeed Al Robeai (Al-Faisaly), Ahmed Assiri (Al-Ittihad Jeddah), Abdullah Al Zouri (Al-Hilal), Hussein Abdulghani (FC Vereya, Bulgaria), Mohammed Jahfali (Al-Hilal), Saeed Al Mowalad (Al-Ahly Jeddah)
Midfielders: Waleed Bakshween (Al-Ahly Jeddah), Mohammed Abousaban (Al-Faisaly), Ibrahim Ghaleb (Al-Nassr), Ahmed Al Fraidi (Al-Nassr), Hattan Bahebri (Al-Shabab), Mohammed Al Shlhoub (Al-Hilal), Mohammed Al Kuwaykibi (Al-Ettifaq).
Forwards: Nasser Al Shamrani (Al-Shabab), Hassan Al Raheb (Al-Nassr), Abdulfattah Adam (Al-Taawun)
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1236001/sports
Saudi Arabia-Iraq sign cooperation agreements and increase trade in Riyadh
19JANUARY
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have signed bilateral cooperation agreements in various areas. Minister of Trade and Investment Majid al Qasabi, and the Iraqi Minister of Planning and Trade
https://www.prpchannel.com/en/PRP-c...ner-riad-agreements-co-rise-exchange-trading/
February 3, 2018 11:28
Iraqi army launches campaign to eliminate terrorists along Saudi Arabia border
Iraqi army is launching a campaign to eliminate ISIS fighters in Anbar, a province on the border with Saudi Arabia, TASS reported.
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 3, ARTSAKHPRESS:“The units of the army, the federal police, the Sunni tribal militia and border troops, with the support of the international anti-terrorist coalition aircraft, began a large-scale operation on Saturday to clean up desert territories in the Anbar province along the Iraqi-Saudi border,” Al Sumaria reported quoting Iraqi commander.
Minister of Iraq Haidar Al-Abadi announced the final defeat of the ISIS on December 10. Most of the militants took refuge in the desert area of Anbar province after the liberation of the Iraqi territories occupied since 2014.
https://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/80...ate-terrorists-along-saudi-arabia-border.html
Few terrorists in that border region (always was the case - 90% was near and around the Syrian border and less so Jordan so a bit surprised by this news) but if that is genuine news, KSA and Iraq are probably directly cooperating. Not probably but for sure. It mentions here the "international anti-terrorist coalition" of which KSA is a part of and Tabuk air base is close as well as the one in Hafar al-Batin.
Saudi Arabia wants to invest Iraqi gas
By
rami
-
February 3, 2018
An oil source revealed a desire to invest the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fields and the current exploration operations also in Anbar, adjacent to the city of Arar Saudi Arabia.
The source stressed that the Saudi side reiterated its desire to invest instead of Korean or Chinese companies, and that Iraq will deal with the issue according to the principle of benefit, not from a political framework, because the field is still subject to a previous contract with a Korean company and was frozen due to the security situation, In the event that there is a defect in either of them.
Iraq announced last November its control of the fire, which was ignited by “dodder” in the field of crutches, after withdrawing during the liberation of areas of Upper Euphrates and the desert island in the west of the country, after the arrival of special teams from the Ministry of Oil was able to extinguish the fire burning wells.
The oil ministry has already announced a plan to raise Iraq’s natural gas production to three times in 2018 by 1700 million cubic feet per day. Oil Minister Jabbar al-Allaibi said gas production would rise to 1,700 million cubic feet per day in 2018.
Last year, Iraq began exporting gas liquids from Basrah Gas Company, a joint venture between South Gas, Shell and Mitsubishi.
“Saudi Arabia’s expertise in the field of gas is not the same in the field of oil, but its attempt to preempt companies and countries and put its investment in the field of gas in Akbar in Anbar may be linked to the proximity of it, as well as trying to establish a successful project in the country is the nucleus of economic weight Her in Iraq. ”
He pointed out that there are other countries in the region may also intervene in the event of the field to invest effectively, and ultimately the whole subject is linked to the security file in Iraq in general, and that region in particular, especially as it is close to the Syrian border.
http://en.economiciraq.com/2018/02/03/saudi-arabia-wants-to-invest-iraqi-gas/
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Saudi Arabia allocates financial assistance for the reconstruction of Iraq on terms .. What is?
Sunday 28 January 2018 at 10:05 am
Baghdad / Sky Press
Saudi Arabia’s authorities are ready to give financial aid to Iraq’s reconstruction, a member of the Saudi cabinet’s advisory committee said on Sunday.
“The kingdom is ready to allocate financial aid for the reconstruction of Iraq, but is waiting for guarantees from Baghdad on the fate of the grant,” Eshki said in an interview with Sky Press.
“The Kingdom has expressed its willingness to participate in the upcoming Iraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait (12-14 February), but on several conditions, I have not called it yet, but I believe that the Saudi government wants the Iraqi decision to be sovereign.”
He pointed out that “Iraq is under the influence of Iran and other countries, and Saudi Arabia wants to know where to use the grant funds,” stressing that his country “will not hesitate” to help Iraq.
He explained that Riyadh is providing assistance to many countries with the guarantees of the World Bank and other international parties, “for reassurance about the fate of Saudi aid”.
Kuwait, Iraq, the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank are expected to host an international conference for the reconstruction of Iraq’s restored areas. The conference is expected to be attended by more than 70 Arab and foreign countries and regional and international donor organizations. In the work of the Conference.
http://iraqidinarchat.net/?p=51699
A lot of positive news and great levels of cooperation so quickly into the "normalization".
Some interesting articles written by competent people, especially the first one. Not the typical news.
Not sure if the tagging works but will try.
@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy @Malik Alashter @Iraqiya
@The SC
On the political scene, things seem to go well in favor of the current pro-Saudi government..as the Al Maliki attempts to form a coalition have collapsed lately..And again it is a wise decision by Saudi Arabia to ask to know where its money for Iraqi reconstruction will go.. certainly not for/to anti-Saudi group(s).. in this regard this decision can also be seen as political leverage to encourage the Iraqis to chose a pro-Sunni government..
Saif al-Arab
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Pro Sunni gov u said, that's where you made the mistake
Saif al-Arab
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What he means is probably an inclusive/non-hostile government like the current one (Al-Abadi) unlike Al-Maliki who made a lot of moronic decisions and alienated a large portion of the Iraqi Sunni Arab community and non-Islamists in general. He had his own little personal crusade due to events prior to 2003 and was out for revenge due to his own personal ideology and experiences. He for instance saw Ba'athi's everywhere. The guy probably did more harm to Iraq than anyone else (single person) since 2003. It's worrying me a lot that he is still relevant politically. I fear that he will be elected again and ruin the progress since Al-Abadi came to power.
@The SC is not sectarian at all. He even makes (from time to time) favorable threads about Iran.
The SC
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Meaning a purely Iraqi gov that respects the rights of all its citizens including the Sunnis.. this will make Iraq great again..So when I say our brothers in Iraq..it includes all Iraqis.. I am glad that Saudi Arabia and Egypt are already preparing reconstruction plans for Iraq..and that all those wars are finished..
@Sharif al-Hijaz summed it up quite nicely..as for reason I said pro sunni..meaning not anti sunni gov..So there was no mistake.. maybe some misunderstanding..
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TheCamelGuy
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Removing the Sunnism and Shiaism in all those people, that would be a nice sight
The anti American sentiment in the country, directed from Shia groups doesn't serve Iraqi interests but Iranian interests. They can't help it either, they go by what is "righteous" according to some illogical failed beliefs and an axis of resistance which relied more on Iraqi fighters whom are not even part of the axis. Maliki should be dealt with internally in any way to save the country from the idiot.
Saif al-Arab
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That would be a great thing not only in Iraq but the entire Arab and Muslim world, objectively speaking. However realistically speaking we all know that this (sects) are a big identity for many people. They make a great deal out of it. The current political system is based on this. We can see similar in Kuwait. It's useless and something should be done against this.
I have always been emphasizing unity. Why the hell should people from the same country, same nationality, same ethnicity, same religion, that share 99,9% in common, be at each others throats due to a difference in sect (interpretations) from the same religion? The similarities are already enormous. Mostly those differences are due to politics and a few other issues that we are all familiar with (purely religious aspects).
For instance a person from Samawah (Shia) and a Sunni from Basra, why should they hate each other? Or one from version (Sunni) from Fallujah and Shia from Baghdad next door. This is more about politics and power struggle than sect IMO.
Same with regional proxy wars. Pre 1979 this sect talk was almost non-existent outside of religious scholar environments.
Anyway in other news;
Posted yesterday:
Saudis see opportunities in helping to rebuild Iraq
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ru/...reconstruction-sunni-areas.html#ixzz56Z3nVuBA
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/02/iraq-saudi-reconstruction-sunni-areas.html
BTW back in the early 1990's KSA welcomed almost 200.000 Iraqi Shia Arabs from across the border (@Malik Alashter from this forum alone was one such person) and this was seen as a good gesture regardless of sect. We want to see something like this.
If I ruled KSA I would give money to Najaf and Karbala as well given KSA's Islamic history and the close ties to those two cities. I would be inclusive of all Muslims but not only Muslims. MbS has made some promising comments in this regard. Whether we will see such behavior due to political ground realities or if this would even be supported by influential locals, I have no idea about. The region is complex after all and realities change constantly.
Anyway I am more interested in the economic, military, infrastructure, agriculture, cultural, scientific, educational, renewable energy, tourism etc. cooperation. Or environmental. Combating desertification and greening the area with emerging technology. One example.
Even arranging hunting trips across the border is better than such useless discussions. Nobody cares about this in real life 99% of the time when they are together.
It is not like people discuss such topics constantly even in the region like many outsiders thing or don't think about anything else in their lives. That is not the case.
Maybe Al-Maliki has changed and is able to reform? I think that he even realizes that the current policies are many times better for Iraq internally and foreign policy wise. He seems not to be much active in the media even despite the upcoming elections.
Anyway something more funny and better:
"Hair dance is an old traditional dance that's been performed by Arab women in weddings and many other celebrations in some middle eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE. This type of traditional dance was almost completely forgotten in Saudi Arabia until the popularity of Shaila music* rose and people started to perform Hair dance again with it. Hair dance is also nowadays popular with belly dancers and is being taught in dance schools in countries like Russia, Ukraine and China. * Shaila music is a new trend that is very different from usual Arabic music. a Shaila song is usually a poem that is sung with a fast rhythm and loud music. Most music in this video are shaila songs."
"Dahha/Dehhiya Dance is a traditional tribal dance first performed in the northern parts of present day Saudi Arabia (Jawf, The Northern Borders, Tabuk, and Hail provinces), and it's also performed in the neighboring countries in Iraq and Levant. In this video, a group of elementary school female students in Tabuk province are Dahha dancing in a school festival. Enjoy :*"
Saif al-Arab
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SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi king promises football stadium for Iraq in call with PM Abadi
REUTERS | Published — Tuesday 6 March 2018
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised to build Iraq a football stadium following a friendly match between the two countries’ teams last week, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi.
BAGHDAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised to build Iraq a football stadium following a friendly match between the two countries’ teams last week, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi on Monday.
The two leaders also discussed how to enhance and strengthen cooperation between their countries, and the Iraqi-Saudi Joint Coordination Council, a body created last October to improve strategic relations and help rebuild devastated areas retaken from Islamist militants in Iraq.
The phone call was the latest indication of improved relations between the two countries, which have been at loggerheads for decades, starting with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Saudi Arabia is wooing Baghdad as part of an effort to stem the growing regional influence of Iran, while Iraq is seeking economic benefits from closer ties with Riyadh.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1259886/saudi-arabia
The first international game in the Basra Sports Stadium (built in late 2013) was played between Iraq and KSA (although KSA played with a B-side due to league, AFC etc. going on) earlier last month. Iraq won 4-1 and deservedly so.
Saudi Arabian women visiting Basra Sports City and Basra before the game and being welcomed warmly by locals as well as talking with workers on the port.
@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy
Wonderful brotherly reception;
Saudi king promises football stadium for Iraq in call with PM Abadi
REUTERS | Published — Tuesday 6 March 2018
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised to build Iraq a football stadium following a friendly match between the two countries’ teams last week, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi.
BAGHDAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised to build Iraq a football stadium following a friendly match between the two countries’ teams last week, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi on Monday.
The two leaders also discussed how to enhance and strengthen cooperation between their countries, and the Iraqi-Saudi Joint Coordination Council, a body created last October to improve strategic relations and help rebuild devastated areas retaken from Islamist militants in Iraq.
The phone call was the latest indication of improved relations between the two countries, which have been at loggerheads for decades, starting with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Saudi Arabia is wooing Baghdad as part of an effort to stem the growing regional influence of Iran, while Iraq is seeking economic benefits from closer ties with Riyadh.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1259886/saudi-arabia
The first international game in the Basra Sports Stadium (built in late 2013) was played between Iraq and KSA (although KSA played with a B-side due to league, AFC etc. going on) earlier last month. Iraq won 4-1 and deservedly so.
Saudi Arabian women visiting Basra Sports City and Basra before the game and being welcomed warmly by locals as well as talking with workers on the port.
@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy
Wonderful brotherly reception;
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That is nice, when are we joining GCC. It would be a good development
Saif al-Arab
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GCC is "collapsing" due to Qatar and some disagreements between the regimes. Nowadays it is KSA, UAE and Bahrain and Kuwait (although their parliamentary system is chaotic - this is what democracy gives you in diverse and not fully democratically developed countries) mostly while Oman is a partner but they have a neutral position in the region. Kuwait to an extent too although they are aligned to the GCC of course. As is Oman.
Of course I do doubt that the GCC will collapse completely but it would be a good thing if it expanded and incorporated Iraq (should be a part naturally as it also borders the Gulf) and countries like Jordan, Syria (one day) and Yemen (one day), Lebanon, Palestine etc. Maybe even neighboring Egypt.
Or as I mentioned 1 month ago or so, transforming the Arab League into some kind of EU (taking the good from it) to increase trade ties, business ties, educational ties etc. Basically make it more profitable for everyone involved and strengthen the ties. This will also prevent senseless conflicts.
I believe had the GCC not existed, KSA would have invaded Qatar for instance, long ago. Of course the US base and US interference would have prevented this (most likely) but it would have been tried IMO. At least 20-30 years ago.
Anyway I do not care about the GCC. For all I care it can disappear tomorrow and a new regional Arab bloc can be created between countries like the Iraqi-Saudi Joint Coordination Council that was created last year in order to boost relations on all fronts. That is the right step and we have already seen promising developments due to this as I have posted in this thread (only a small portion of the news of course).
The Arab League should transform itself and become effective and not just a forum where leaders meet and do little.
We will see what will happen but I am positive as usual and hoping for the best.
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Then one day maybe we can have joint drifting sessions
(I'm not writing too much given the time, will expand on this later).
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