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Saudi Arabia, the most important supporter of Takfiri groups in Syria and Iraq, has not spared any efforts to destabilize the Middle East. Nonetheless, it has suffered three prominent defeats over the past months; the first failure was in Syria when Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar’s plot for a chemical attack by militants in Syria paved the way for foreign intervention in this country. Particularly, as the Syrian army has achieved considerable successes after the US backed down on its decision to attack Syria, and Western countries stopped sending weapons to a number of militant groups.

The second biggest failure of Saudi Arabia was the historic deal between Iran and the six major world powers on November 24 that dealt a heavy blow to Saudi Arabia, and led Riyadh to openly criticize the US and the West in general. Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, a member of Saudi royal family, mentioned in an article in New York Times that the West’s approach towards Iran and Syria is a threat to security and stability in the Middle East. The Saudi Arabian officials’ criticism of the US reveals the depth of their dissatisfaction with the West’s deal with Iran, and has drawn Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi regime closer to the Zionist regime of Israel.

Riyadh, however, was not able to achieve its objectives in Iraq either. Saudi Arabia sought to fuel a sectarian war in Iraq to suppress Shias in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the Eastern province and al-Qatif. Majority of Iraqi people, either Shia or Sunni, have realized Saudi Arabia’s ominous role in Iraq’s violence. The British paper, The Guardian, revealed Saudi Arabia’s role in the ongoing unrest in Iraq. According to the report, former US ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill said in his secret messages to the Department of State in 2009 that "Saudi Arabia constitutes the biggest challenge and the problem is more complex in relation to the Iraqi politicians who are trying to form a stable and independent government."

Hill added that they had informed the US Advisor National Security Council that Saudi influence in Iraq is important as they finance al-Qaeda attacks in Iraq to weaken the country’s government.

The [so-called] Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is the most important terrorist group that causes the most insecurity in this country. This Wahhabi group with its extreme Takfiri tendencies receives financial aid and military support from Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi news agency Buratha revealed that Saudi Arabia has not only appointed the new head of al-Qaeda terrorist group in Iraq, it has also issued an order for sending weapons to this country.

Saudi intelligence chief and former envoy to the US has appointed Abu Suleiman al-Naser as the new commander of al-Qaeda instead of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the former commander of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the head of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq were killed by Iraqi security forces in Iraq in Salahuddin province. Lack of leadership for the terrorist group had concerned its supporters, including Saudi Arabia.

According to the document revealed by the news agency, Prince Bandar who is in charge of Iraq’s case, appointed Abu Suleiman, who has dual Saudi-Iraqi citizenship, as the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq in the Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting on May 2, 2010. Abu Suleiman was considered a trusted member of Saudi Arabia’s National Security Council and Joint Chiefs of Staff with military and intelligence experience.

Equipping al-Qaeda organization in Iraq with new weapons, establishing a committee to supervise the process of sending more arms to this group in secret, communication between all armed groups supported by Saudi Arabia with Abu Suleiman and ceasing military and financial aid to groups which do not accept the leadership of al-Qaeda cell in Iraq were among decisions made in the meeting chaired by Prince Bandar.
Another proof of Saudi Arabia’s role in Iraq’s crisis can be found in reporting violence in Iraq in news network affiliated to Saudi Arabia such as Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya.

Al Arabiya news channel is recently using a new map for reporting terrorist attacks in Iraq, dividing the country into three parts of Sunni, Shia and Kurd-populated areas.

Another interesting thing about the news channel’s approach is exaggeration in bombing news in Sunni-populated areas in a fashion that Shia-populated regions are described as immune to bombing attempts.

According to the UN Charter, no country is allowed to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries. Now that Western media, including The Guardian , have revealed the Saudi Arabia’s role in Iraq's unrest, why Baghdad and the international community take no measures to stop Saudi Arabia?

The reason should be found in the US policy towards Saudi Arabia. Iraqi officials are still dependent on the financial aid of Washington and its allies. Political situation in Iraq is not stable and Baghdad cannot publicly criticize Saudi Arabia--one of the main allies of the US in the region.

From another dimension, because of its dependence on the oil market and Saudi Arabia’s status among Middle Eastern Arab countries, the US is trying to refrain from confronting Riyadh.

Lastly, the US and Saudi Arabia share the same strategic objective to portray Nouri al-Maliki as unable to manage Iraq’s affairs, but they have different viewpoints. Saudi Arabia is worried about Shias gaining power in Iraq and finally inside Saudi Arabia, while the US is concerned about the augmentation of Iran’s power inside Iraq in case of al-Maliki’s success.

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