Saudi spy chief says Riyadh to ‘shift away from U.S.’ over Syria, Iran

By Amena Bakr



DOHA (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief has said the kingdom will make a "major shift" in relations with the United States in protest at its perceived inaction over the Syria war and its overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.


Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that Washington had failed to act effectively on the Syria crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.


It was not immediately clear if Prince Bandar’s reported statements had the full backing of King Abdullah.
"The shift away from the U.S. is a major one," the source close to Saudi policy said. "Saudi doesn’t want to find itself any longer in a situation where it is dependent."


The United States and Saudi Arabia have been allies since the kingdom was declared in 1932, givingRiyadh a powerful military protector and Washington secure oil supplies.


The prince’s initiative follows a surprise Saudi decision on Friday to reject a coveted two-year term on the U.N. Security Council in protest at "double standards" at the United Nations.


Prince Bandar, who was Saudi ambassador to Washington for 22 years, is seen as a foreign policy hawk, especially on Iran. The Sunni Muslim kingdom’s rivalry with Shi’ite Iran, an ally of Syria, has amplified sectarian tensions across the Middle East.


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