Iraq must give decisive response to Saudi insults: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ali Al Ahmed, director of the Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs (IGA) from Washington, on Saudi Arabia’s insulting comments against Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units fighting against Daesh terrorists.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Certainly this is an odd way to start off or to restart, some sort of a relationship with Iraq criticizing those who are fighting Daesh.

Ahmed: Absolutely, Saudi Arabia is the mother of Daesh. The Saudi government is the main backer of Daesh. And I hope your TV station and all independent media would all refer to Daesh and ISIS as Saudi-backed. This is a reality.

It is very clear that the Saudi government is looking to insult the people of Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq are a card. Everybody knows that they represent the people of Iraq. There are Shias, Sunnis, Christians and others even Yazidis in these forces. And they probably are the most popular and the first force to fight ISIS.

The Saudis, seeing the success of this force, are extremely angry and they want to undermine the legitimacy of this force. And I think they are looking for fight. They are basically trying to replicate what they did with the Iranians. And so it is very important for the Iraqi government to react in a way that it does not serve the Saudi interest and desire.

They might want to start a crisis with Iraq. And I think the Iraqis [can condemn that] by making sure their response is measured and decisive as well.

Press TV: I was in Iraq awhile back and of course Hashd al-Shaabi is the very well respected, the Popular Mobilization Units, by all Iraqis by all walks of life. So, I’m wondering if the Saudis really want to start a fight or some sort of confrontation with the Iraqi government, to what benefit is that to them?

Ahmed: I think they again, they are trying to export their problem... The Saudi government has been always using the sectarian card to get people. Unfortunately, there are people in Iraq, I have to say, who are willing to play this game.

And the main cause of the violence in Iraq since 2003 has been this. There are some within the Sunni population in Iraq, who have played into the hand of [Persian] Gulf monarchies, the Saudis. They have destroyed Iraq. They have created havoc in Iraq. It started with Saddam Hussein and his invasion of Iran on behalf of the Saudis and now there are people who are taking Saddam’s place, who are doing the same thing. They are either in Daesh and other groups who are trying not to bring peace to the Iraqi people, to their own people. They arrived and served the Kuwaiti, and the Saudi and the Qatari interests in the region.

And that’s why we have to be very honest about these things that these people are serving outside forces, destroying their own country. And the Saudis are trying to do that. They are trying to turn the tide ... against ISIS. That’s why the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people must be very astute and respond to this decisively but also in a very well-thought manner.

Press TV: Do you think the Saudis will ever come to regret, picking a fight with pretty much everybody around them?

Ahmed: I think they will as the other side has come in a good way and Saudis are weak. The problem is that sometimes their enemies, their foes, have not made the right decision in terms of responses and that’s very important to realize. This is not about screaming loud, itis about how to respond about responding to the Saudis.

And I think now this is the best time to do it, because the Saudi monarchy is now at loss, they are behaving irrationally and they can be defeated very easily, if the other side knows what they’re doing.

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