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Family members of Saudi ambassador to Iraq have been Daesh terrorists: Analyst

Monday, 25 January 2016 7:32 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 25 January 2016 7:32 AM ]

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari (R) meets with the new Saudi ambassador to Iraq Thamer al-Sabhan in the capital, Baghdad, January 14, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ali al-Ahmed, a political analyst, about Iraqi legislators’ call for the expulsion of Saudi Ambassador Thamer al-Sabhan from Baghdad over meddlesome remarks on Iraq’s campaign against terror.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: First Saudi ambassador to Bagdad in over 25 years and this is what he does. What do you make of it?

Ahmed: Well, two things we need to know about Sabhan that several members of his family are terrorists who were killed in Iraq and in Syria; so, the Sabhan family has provided ISIS and al-Qaeda with several terrorists who either died or still fighting.

Secondly is Sabhan comes from a military background. He is not a diplomat per se. He comes from military/intelligence background and he was chosen basically to enhance Saudi undermining of the Iraqi state and he will continue to do that.

I believe the Saudis are trying to support ISIS because of the gains made by the Popular Mobilized units or the Popular Units supported by the Iraqi army. So, they are feeling the pressure on ISIS and they are trying to create a sectarian divide once again in Iraq.

Press TV: So, then, Mr. al-Ahmed, you would say that the Saudi embassy in Baghdad is basically a location from which sectarian strife as well as Takfiri ideology and support for ISIS will be emanated.

Ahmed: Absolutely, we know for sure that the Saudi government has sent since 2003 – and before even and continues to do so – to Iraq a lot of terrorists, a lot of money and support. For example, right now the Saudi Ministry of the Interior creates and runs thousands of online accounts for one of its agents, a guy who pretends to be a Shia religiously, by the name of Sarkhi. All these operations are run from Riyadh to give the impression that there is a divide in the Shia religious establishment, and this one man is attracting Shia against so-called Iranian influence and against the Iraqi government.

So, the Saudi government is not friends to the Iraqi people or their government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iraq, specifically the minister, has failed to realize that because of his weakness; and the Iraqis need to take strong steps to stop Saudi meddling and support for ISIS. So, they can end in this problem.

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