KSA and Qatar fund terrorism to weaken rivals

An interview with Chris Bambery, political commentator, London about the violent bombardment of Shia-dominated regions of Iraq to foment instability in this country.
KSA and Qatar fund terrorism to weaken rivals
Question: This situation seems to be deteriorating in Iraq. What do you think is the greatest factor for this surge in violence that we’re seeing this year?

Bambery: I think we have to connect the terrible sectarian killings in Iraq – some 9,000 or so already this year with what is happening in Syria.

The Salafist groups responsible for these killings the al-Qaeda linked groups both in Syria and in Iraq consider it is one conflict and they are operating in a state they call Syria and Iraq so they make no division between Syria and Iraq.

They’re involved in a sectarian civil war, which is largely targeting Shia and other groups in both countries and of course they’re being egged-on by Saudi Arabia and Qatar who’ve encouraged this sectarian agenda across the region because they see it as weakening their rivals in the region.

They have no interest in a stable Iraq and regard the Iraqi government as being pro-Iran, which it’s clearly not, it’s got an independent force.

But I think we also have to add something else – there are other historical responsibilities for this rise from the American occupation.

When the American occupation could not deal with the Sunni opposition, what they essentially did was to co-opt them and encourage them to turn their guns on the Shias because the Americans feared the Shias more than they did the Sunnis to be honest because they regarded them, again incorrectly, they regarded them as simply a proxy for Iran.

And therefore they set up a situation where Iraq was divided into a Kurdish zone, a Sunni zone and a Shia zone and that situation still remains in large part. It was inherited by the Iraqi government and it is a recipe for sectarian violence.

But I think the principle responsibility as I say is the situation in Syria and the encouragement being given these al-Qaeda linked groups operating in both Syria and Iraq by Saudi Arabia and Qatar who are intent on posing a sectarian agenda right across the region.

Q: When you’re talking about this situation in Iraq and that it is something inherited I want to look at the role of certain neighboring countries in this situation: the role you think of Saudi Arabia because many point their fingers at Saudi involvement in this situation in Iraq.

First of all I want to know if you agree and if so, what do you think that Saudi Arabia would gain from seeing an unstable Iraq?

Bambery: First of all I think it’s correct to say that Saudi Arabia are involved in this I think there is no doubt about this.

I don’t think they want a strong Iraq. Historically under Saddam Hussein they viewed Iraq as a threat and they don’t want a stable viable Iraqi state – I’m not saying Saddam was a good thing by the way, but they don’t want that so they have an interest in de-stability.

And secondly as well, faced with the Arab Spring clearly Riyadh took a decision that it would stoke up sectarian conflict as a way essentially of diverting the forces of the Arab Spring and we’ve seen that pay off to a large extent in Syria. The opposition forces have been pushed out of the way and we now see the Salafist groups taking up the running inside Syria. And I think they have an interest in that.

And thirdly, they have an interest in stoking the fires of sectarianism because they view Iran as being the main rival in the region.

Whatever words that come out of Tehran are words of peace and cooperation offering talks with Riyadh at the moment. I think it’s very difficult for Saudi Arabia to overcome their suspicion of Iran.