Iraq crisis divides Saudi royal family, government leaders

CAIRO, Egypt — Saudi Arabia's royal family and government leaders are deeply divided over how to handle the growing crisis in Iraq and other looming Mideast problems like Iran, with some favoring strong aid to fellow Sunnis and others more cautious.

The split played a key role in this week's abrupt resignation of the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. It also could hurt U.S. efforts to forge a new overall strategy to calm Iraq.

The internal dispute shows how Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, long key partners in U.S. efforts to stabilize the Middle East, are struggling to decide how to proceed as Iraq boils over and Iran gains influence.

The resignation of Prince Turki al-Faisal, after just 15 months as ambassador to the U.S., came after Saudi officials concluded he was not succeeding at building strong ties with the United States, a Saudi official said Wednesday.

"Many in the royal family concluded that if he stayed longer, things might even get worse," said the official, who has working ties with the Saudi Foreign Ministry but spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Saudis had no official comment, and the White House merely wished Turki well. Turki could not be reached for comment.

Turki last week fired a Saudi security consultant, Nawaf Obaid, after Obaid wrote in The Washington Post that "one of the first consequences" of any American troop pullout from Iraq would "be massive Saudi intervention" in Iraq "to stop Iranian-backed Shiite militias from butchering Iraqi Sunnis."

Saudi Arabia denied that Obaid was speaking on its behalf.

But The Associated Press reported last week that Saudi private citizens are sending millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq, much of it used to buy weapons, because they worry about Iranian influence in Shiite-led Iraq.

Iraqi officials have said they believe some members of the Saudi royal family are either involved in that flow of money or turning a blind eye — a charge Saudi Arabia strongly denies.

The Saudis and the United States also denied a Wednesday report in The New York Times that the Saudi king told Vice President Dick Cheney the kingdom might provide financial aid to Iraqi Sunnis if the U.S. pulls troops out of Iraq.

"That's not Saudi government policy," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. He added that the Saudis, however, were "rightly concerned about the adventurism of Iranians in Iraq, and we share that concern."

The United States has been pushing Saudi Arabia to persuade Sunnis in Iraq to leave the insurgency and join with Shiites in political efforts — an effort the Saudi government has said it is undertaking.

But the royal family has been divided over what strategy to adopt toward Iraq, said two Saudis with close ties to the government, speaking anonymously. Some favor robust support of fellow Sunnis inside Iraq, while others urge caution.

"They have an obsession that Shiites and Iran will control Iraq, but they do not know how to stop that," said one Saudi. The other described what he called total confusion within the government over the best course.

On Monday, 30 prominent Saudi clerics called on Sunni Muslims around the Middle East to support Sunnis in Iraq against Shiites and praised the insurgency. The clerics warned that Shiite Muslims were taking control of Iraq in a conspiracy with "crusaders" — a reference to Westerners — to marginalize Sunnis.