IRANIAN MEDIA BACK RIYADH IN ITS WAR OF WORDS WITH WASHINGTON
TEHRAN 22 Aug. (IPS) As relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia continue to degrade, Iranian media, both pro-reform and those controlled by the ruling conservatives, took side for the Kingdom that was once described by Grand Ayatollah Roohollah Khomeini as "even more evil" than Iraq’ Saddam Hoseyn.
Iranian newspapers took the defence of Saudi Arabia in its political confrontation with America at a time that Riyadh relations have dramatically warmed up with both Tehran and Baghdad, Riyadh's formers foes that fought a bloody, ruinous eight years war.
The growing rapprochement between Riyadh and Baghdad, at a time when the Pentagon is weighing up the military options for toppling President Saddam Hussein, has underlined the huge changes in the region’s political environment since the previous US-led campaign against Iraq, the "Times" of London said recently, quoting "informed diplomatic sources".
Saudi Arabia is reported to be in the process of concluding a special trade deal with Baghdad and is denying Washington access to its military bases for any attack on Iraq.
The Persian-language "Iran", which is published by the official news agency IRNA hailed recent "independent stances" adopted by Saudi leaders regarding "US adventures in the Middle East", saying these stances have won the ire of White House warmongers.
"Washington is averse to Crown Prince Abdollah as successor to the ailing King Fahd, largely because of his independent approach in dealing with regional and global developments", the paper said, assuring that, "still, Prince Abdollah is a popular and reputable figure not only in the oil-rich country, but also in the Muslim world".
After the Saudi police harshly stopped Iranian pilgrims staging anti-American demonstrations in Mecca during the hajj period of 1984, killing at least 400 pilgrims, Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution who had orders the pilgrims to demonstrate despite ban on any political manifestations by Saudi officials, described the Saudi royal dynasty as "traitors", saying they were "thousands of times worse than Saddam (Hoseyn, the Iraqi dictator who had declared war on Iran) and cut off relations with Riyadh.
Iran further cited Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement with the Islamic Republic as yet another new area of contention between Riyadh and Washington.
"The recent visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal to Iran is a clear indication that Saudi officials are currently defying US pressure on them to refrain from expanding relations with the Islamic Republic" the paper said, observing that during his recent one day trip to Tehran, Saudi’s Foreign Affaires Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal had reiterated his opposition to an attack against Iraq, further angering Washington.
"America's anti-Saudi and anti-Egypt policies should sound the alarm for regional powers", the daily warned, adding: "What assurances exist that US accusations would not be the prelude to imposing political and economic pressures on Arab businesses and blocking their assets?"
"Islamic leaders need to throw their full weight behind the Saudi leadership in the face of increasing US pressure", "Iran" concluded.
The English-language "Iran Daily", which is also published by IRNA stressed that although Saudi-US relations had already been strained after Washington announced that most of the alleged perpetrators of the 11 September terror attacks on US landmarks last year were Saudi nationals, the recent Pentagon report that branded Saudi Arabia as an "emerging enemy" to the US had already deteriorated ties between the two countries "far beyond reconciliation".
The paper was referring to a recent "briefing" prepared by "Rand Corporation" analysts for the US Defence Department and leaked to American newspapers, describing Saudi Arabia as "the kernel" of antagonism against America.
Though the White House immediately explained to the Saudis that the report did not represent Washington’s official point of view regarding the Kingdom, yet it seriously damaged relations between the two old allies.
"In addition to those differences, "anti-US sentiments are running high in Saudi Arabia due to America's biased support for Israel", the pro-Khatami paper further noted, blaming the United States for the growing tensions of ties between Washington and its "friends in the region.
"America's "illogical Middle East policies", including its support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the plan to attack Iraq, have not been received favourably in the Arab world", the daily said.
It recalled a series of recent US anti-Arab policies, including the cut in US aid to Egypt and the anti-Saudi articles in American broadsheets as manifesting the fact that America is insisting on its "unfriendly policies against Muslims".
"Bush's America does not treat its regional friends and allies on the basis of reciprocity and mutual interest, rather, it wants them to endorse and unconditionally back all its policies", the conservatives-controlled "Keyhan International" noted, adding: "These antagonistic policies more or less stem from the extensive influence of the Zionist lobby in America".
"Some Arab states, for some time now, have been protesting at America's hostile policies towards Muslims and its blind support for Israeli massacre of Muslims," it said.
"America's recent measures should indeed serve as a yardstick to measure the quality of friendship with traditional allies", "Iran Daily" suggested. ENDS IRAN SUPPORTS RIYADH 22802