'Sunni Arab hostility toward the growing Shiite power in Iraq is no revelation. But the sensitive cables are coming out just as the recently reappointed Maliki is cobbling together a cabinet that may finally lead to a government.
"Sunni Arab dislike of a Shiite ascendancy in Iraq is well known by Maliki. But this will exacerbate the problem and may push him closer to the Iranians," said Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007 to 2009. "Tehran will certainly try. We'll see if there are any Arab overture to the new government once it is formed - that would help, but I doubt it."
Iraqi officials were quick to dismiss the likelihood of lasting effects, pointing out this was more of a problem between Iran and the Arab Gulf than a problem for Iraq. A new era of Shiite Arab majority leadership was forged in Iraq following the invasion, after decades of dictatorship under Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who oppressed the Shiite majority and the Kurds.'
--Leila Fadel
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Prince Nayif's meeting with Brennan was not the first time in 2009 that the Saudis highlighted Iran's relationship with al Qaeda. In February 2009, the Saudis released a list of their 85 most wanted terrorists. The Saudis said that dozens of the terrorists on the list were operating either inside Iran, or close to the Iranian border in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
One of the terrorists on the most wanted list is Abdullah al Qarawi. An anonymous Saudi security official told The New York Times earlier this year that Qarawi is a Saudi who has long operated inside Iran and is "believed to have been behind some of the terrorist attacks in recent years inside Saudi Arabia." This same official explained that Qarawi is in charge of al Qaeda's operations "in the Persian Gulf and Iran, and of bringing new members into Afghanistan." Qarawi is also "believed to have more than 100 Saudis working for him in Iran, where they move about freely."
http://tinyurl.com/25cbkyw
WOW Maury! That's huge. I'm posting that.
'Wikileaks documents show Turkey helped al-Qaida'
Iraq really has no friendly neighbors. Instead of pushing the Iraqi government towards Iran, this might push the Iraqi govt closer to the US.
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