Was only a matter of time before somebody in the region took up the gauntlet and spelt it out for Iranian Administration....
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Saudi tells Iran, Syria don’t count on us if you don’t cooperate
Wednesday, 11 April, 2007 @ 4:11 AM


Beirut & Riyadh - Saudi Arabia has told Iran not to count on the kingdom's help if the international community imposes harsher measures on Tehran because of its refusal to abide by international requirements on the nuclear issue.


At a meeting in Riyadh last month, King Abdullah told visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran will have to "bear the consequences" of its actions, and shouldn't underestimate the power, capabilities or will of the U.S. and the rest of the international community, according to a Saudi official.

"We told him, 'Don't come back to us and say you wish somebody had told you that,"' the official said. "Don't come back and ask for help."

The king was equally blunt with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom he met in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Arab summit last month.

Abdullah told Assad that if he wants to improve relations with Saudi Arabia - which are at an all-time low - he first has to prove his good intentions in Lebanon, according to the official.

Saudis believe the U.S.-led 2003 war on Iraq has failed to stabilize Iraq, deepened Sunni-Shiite rifts in the region and allowed mostly Shiite Iran to become the most influential power in Iraq.

At the same time, Iran has expanded its influence in Lebanon, among the Palestinians and in Gulf states such as Bahrain and Kuwait while improving its missiles and expanding a nuclear program that the West says aims to eventually produce weapons. Iran says the program is peaceful.

Tehran has also cemented its ties with longtime ally Syria, which is under pressure from the international community to stop its support for the Iranian- backed Hezbollah that is trying to topple the Lebanese government.

Damascus is also being pressured to cooperate with efforts to set up an international tribunal to prosecute suspects in the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri. Anti-Syrians blame Damascus for the murder but Syria has denied the accusations.

Last month, the U.N. Security Council voted to impose new sanctions on Iran - the second in three months - for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. On Monday, Ahmadinejad defied the U.N. demands, saying Iran has begun operating 3, 000 centrifuges.

Iran's rise has disturbed Saudi Arabia, which is ringed by Shiite populations in Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Yemen.

Some analysts say that if Iran was attacked, it would retaliate against U.S. interests in the region - and Saudi Arabia's oil installations across the Gulf are the biggest and most important. The kingdom is the world's largest oil producer and any disruption in its exports would seriously affect supplies and cause oil prices to soar.

In an effort to contain the situation, Saudi Arabia has launched an aggressive and public diplomatic push.

The kingdom is also trying to disengage Tehran from crises that the region's Sunni Muslim leaders believe are none of Iran's business, such as the Israeli- Palestinian crisis, inter-Palestinian fighting and tensions in Lebanon.

Several weeks ago, the Saudis sponsored a meeting of feuding Palestinian factions in the holy city of Mecca that resulted in an agreement to form a national unity government.


Picture: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He told president Assad of Syria that if he wants to improve relations with Saudi Arabia - which are at an all-time low - he first has to prove his good intentions in Lebanon. Syria continues to play a destabilizing role in Lebanon which has irritated Saudi Arabia and the International community .

Sources: AP, Ya Libnan

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

It's time for the rest of them to grow a ball or two, and speak up. They ally themselves with Iran because they oppose Western influence in the region. They will realize, eventually, that Iran's hard-line stance and blatent defiance of the UN only attracts more Western attention and can only increase our influence in the region. A dialog is a good thing to get going (a serious dialog), not the word game Iran is playing.

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Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. A. Einstein
What good fortune for those in power that people do not think. A. Hitler

Its a classic example of World Politics at play...... although its got the apperance of a regional pissing match..... its smacks of US pressure on Saudi to speak up as a Muslim nation to the obvious wrongs that goin on by Iran with its neighbours.... Saudi also has the worry cos of its Oil Relationship with US, that the first retalitory strikes by Iran if hit by US will be against Saudi.... I think they are right, and I also think there strong words are ones of self defence, get Iran of its hobby horse today, you might prevent a regional war tomorrow.. Fair play I think....

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

I think the Naval Base in Bahrain would probably be the first strike. But yeah Saudi would be soon after. And it's about damn time someone in the region stepped up. If Saudi want's to be the "moderate" voice they claim they are, then they better start acting like it. It's not like they really have much to worry about either, if Iran decided to act up Saudi has enough money to pay armies to fight Iran.

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"We do not negotiate with terrorists, we put them out of business." - Scott McClellan

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" - Gen William T. Sherman

funny really when you think about where the radical islam originates.

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You mean Hasan i Sabah and his group of assassins?

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"We do not negotiate with terrorists, we put them out of business." - Scott McClellan

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" - Gen William T. Sherman

Saudi is a soft target, cos of the Radical stream of Islam engrained in the country, and the institutions that support it... Iran would see them as No1 target.... yea, probably after the nearest US target... however, thats a if they did it premise... Iran has shown itself to be a VERY shrewd operator on the local, regional and world stage... I cant see them doing anything as brazenly stupid as that anytime soon....

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

Radicalism does run rampant through Saudi. But I don't think Saudi would have to worry about it turning against them if a ****e enemey would attack them. If history shows us anything the Sunni radicals in Saudi would turn on the ****e attackers indefinitely.

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"We do not negotiate with terrorists, we put them out of business." - Scott McClellan

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" - Gen William T. Sherman

Ermm, I dont agree there pal.. its a breeding ground of Sunni Extremism... they are arrogant by belief and often look down on the Shi'ites but as radicalism goes, they have a big problem, and the only thing holding the kingdom together is the efficent secret service and the tenous alliances with Mullahs within its borders keeping the Ts from doing damage on Saudi soil.. this is also evidenced in the vast amounts of Exported Ts they have.... no mate, its a real issue in Saudi, their answer, work it so its stopped or exported... and it does work for them... A real middle Eastern solution, if it cant be fixed, export it from your country and let someone else worry about it.... The Taliban and Pakistan is another fine example...

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"Barrel High, Powder Dry!"

"Illic est haud effrego ex Veneratio"

I agree it's a real problem to Saudi, but if they were to be attacked by a Shiite enemey, I doubt the Sunni extremists will turn on Saudi they will focus their attention on the Shiite invaders. That rivilary has been going on since the Prophet died and will not be going away anytime soon.

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"We do not negotiate with terrorists, we put them out of business." - Scott McClellan

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over" - Gen William T. Sherman