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Iran FM puts off visit to Saudi amid row over Iraq
Wed. 5 Oct 2005 AFP
RIYADH - Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on put off a planned visit to Saudi Arabia Wednesday after the two countries publicly rowed over the situation in Iraq.
Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia has accused Shiite Iran of meddling in the affairs of the violence-ravaged country, but Tehran has denied the charge, which also drew a scathing attack on Saudi Arabia from an Iraqi Shiite minister.
The surprise postponement of Mottaki's visit was reported by Saudi foreign ministry sources although Iranian officials could not be reached for comment.
Mottaki had proposed delaying his visit by a day to Thursday, one source told AFP, but Saudi officials chose to put off the visit to a later date.
"Iraqis are complaining of interference by Iran. If there is indeed such interference, especially in provinces neighboring Iran, that would be quite serious," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said last month.
The alleged interference "includes the entry of people, money and weapons as well as meddling in political life," he said.
His remarks reflected Riyadh's concern that Iran could increase its influence in Iraq, where it already enjoys sympathy among the ruling majority Shiite community while the once-dominant Sunnis feel marginalized.
Saud has also charged that Washington was effectively handing Iraq to Iran by pursuing a policy that deepens sectarian divisions.
Tehran dismissed Riyadh's concerns.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not expect such remarks from its friends at such a sensitive time in the region, and considers them surprising and irrational," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said last month.
Saud's comments also drew a vitriolic attack from Iraq's interior minister, who said Iraqis would "not accept a Bedouin on a camel teaching us about human rights and democracy."
Bayan Baqer Sulagh said the oil-rich Sunni-ruled kingdom had several problems of its own to take care of.
"Saudis should first allow women to drive, as is the case in Iraq," he said, adding that "four million Shiites live like second-class citizens in the Saudi kingdom."
Commenting on the outburst, an Emirati newspaper said Wednesday that the Iraqi interior minister could do with some lessons of his own.
"Sulagh says the new 'democratic Iraq' would not accept lessons from others. But surely the minister needs to learn how to speak," Gulf News wrote.
see link for full article:
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3904
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