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Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah (center) visiting the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Wednesday. (Reuters)
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Saudi Arabia: Syria trying to destabilize Middle East, spread chaos
By News Agencies

Saudi Arabia accused Syria on Thursday of attempting to destabilize the region and spread chaos, in response to Syrian accusations that its role in the Middle East was waning.

A government spokesman in the Saudi capital Riyadh rejected the Syrian claims as "lies and fallacies" in a widely broadcast statement Thursday evening, signaling a new low in diplomatic ties already strained over Lebanon and Iraq.

In an unusually scathing statement, the conservative Muslim kingdom, which has been trying to bolster its regional role, was lashing out against criticism made by Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Shara earlier this week.

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"They believe they can deceive the Arab and Muslim nation, but their actions are proof of their malicious intentions," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia is a close ally of the United States in the Middle East, and has just signed an arms deal with it for an estimated $20 billion of sophisticated weaponry. Syria, however, is accused by the U.S. of supporting terrorism and aiding the insurgency in Iraq.

The Saudi royal house accused Syrian Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa of spreading "lies" about Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sharaa had said on Tuesday at a press conference in Damascus that Saudi Arabia was not playing an active role in regional politics. He also said that in its foreign policy, the Islamic kingdom was paralyzed - pointing to the failure of a Palestinian unity deal forged in the Saudi holy city of Mecca in February.

Al-Sharaa said the outline of the Mecca deal had already been hammered out in Damascus anyway, and hinted that its collapse showed either that Saudi Arabia was hamstrung or that the kingdom had lost the ear of its ally the U.S.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria have cooled dramatically since the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in February 2005.

Billionaire Hariri was a confidant of the Saudi ruling family and Damascus is suspected of involvement in his killing.

A political standoff between Lebanon's pro-Syrian Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, which is backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, has further soured relations since the Second Lebanon War last year war between Israel and the Shi'ite Muslim guerrilla group.

Riyadh is also concerned about the growing influence of Syria's Shi'ite Muslim ally, Iran, particularly in Iraq and Lebanon, where Shi'ite groups are strong.

The statement from Riyadh said that in spite of the difference of opinion with the Syrian leadership this would not alter "the fraternal relations between the peoples of Syria and Saudi Arabia."
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  1.   The Saudi royal family 12:08  |  Natallie Durson 17/08/07
  2.   Truth From Liars 12:29  |  dyinglikeflies 17/08/07
  3.   A little squabble well planned 12:38  |  Chaim Gorenstein 17/08/07
  4.   How are the Assads any less "royal" 12:54  |  Nasib 17/08/07
  5.   Leading role 12:57  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 17/08/07
  6.   Oh yes, the Saudis are sent from heaven. As if... 13:57  |  christoph 17/08/07
  7.   Oh so Syria is the bad guy! 13:58  |  Sami 17/08/07
  8.   ARAB ANGST 14:01  |  Brant 17/08/07
  9.   brothers in arms 14:11  |  indrajaya 17/08/07
  10.   to Sami 14:22  |  abe 17/08/07
  11.   Natallie your clueless about the ME but that`s 14:28  |  Avram 17/08/07
  12.   if I had choose between living in Syria or Saudi-Arabia 14:35  |  Avram 17/08/07
  13.   Sami (#7) hello 14:39  |  christoph 17/08/07
  14.   What it Means 14:39  |  Ronnie Wolman 17/08/07
  15.   The Saudis and the Syrians. 14:45  |  sandra chitayat 17/08/07
  16.   Toward a Saudi-Israeli alliance Vs Syria 14:51  |  Patrick 17/08/07
  17.   Saudi Regime Must Be Replaced! 15:01  |  Brian Freund 17/08/07
  18.   to Abe 15:11  |  another syrian 17/08/07
  19.   indrajaya: "Muslim nation"? 15:21  |  christoph 17/08/07
  20.   Only now Saudi Arabia found out what Syria does in 15:28  |  Dubi 17/08/07
  21.   Saudis are stooges of the US and the West 15:29  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 17/08/07
  22.   To Chaim 15:31  |  leon 17/08/07
  23.   Sami # 7 How can you compare Saudis to Israel 15:33  |  The Equalizer 17/08/07
  24.   Oil begets Oil begets Oil and that begets Oil 15:33  |  Ronnie Wolman 17/08/07
  25.   The Pot Calling The Kettle Black 15:35  |  Bill Foonman 17/08/07
  26.   Saudis 15:38  |  Joseph 17/08/07
  27.   the Saudis are stooges for the US and the West 2 15:38  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 17/08/07
  28.   the truth 15:42  |  Palestinian 17/08/07
  29.   the real problem: 1 15:45  |  another syrian 17/08/07
  30.   the real problem: 2 15:52  |  another syrian 17/08/07
  31.   Will Israelis turn into Wahhabis or Saudis turn into 15:57  |  Lebanese 17/08/07
  32.   The coverage in Arab News 16:04  |  Mark Lincoln 17/08/07
  33.   TERRORISM IS A GOOD THING 16:04  |  indrajaya 17/08/07
  34.   Post # - Look In The Mirror 16:16  |  Double Click 17/08/07
  35.   Well... 16:30  |  Yosemite 17/08/07
  36.   #8 16:33  |  Fadi 17/08/07
  37.   #16 Interpretation Of Islam 16:35  |  Bill Foonman 17/08/07
  38.   "arab recognition of Israel" when arabs can`t even be at peace 16:36  |  Absolute Sweden 17/08/07
  39.   The Saudis are puppets, we all know this, even Osama Knows this 16:40  |  Amer 17/08/07
  40.   Saudi Arabia 16:48  |  Darin 17/08/07
  41.   #9, #21 Fake Indrajaya alert 16:49  |  Indrajaya 17/08/07
  42.   lebanese at #27 16:55  |  scanadu 17/08/07
  43.   not holding my breath but 16:59  |  honey bunch 17/08/07
  44.   #30 Lebanese Antisemitism 17:00  |  Semsem 17/08/07
  45.   Must be a Mossad plot to control Arab thought. 17:05  |  sheik yer booti 17/08/07
  46.   Natalie Durson: since you love Arabs so much 17:15  |  Peter Burman 17/08/07
  47.   Saudis Vs Syrians 17:23  |  Michael T 17/08/07
  48.   To Amer 17:26  |  Avraham 17/08/07
  49.   This Will Peter Out Once Iranian Regime is Destroyed 17:38  |  Solon 17/08/07
  50.   43 honey bunch 17:45  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 17/08/07
  51.   to 23, you asked me a question: Answer..... 17:45  |  Sami 17/08/07
  52.   Well, it looks like you like what is going on 17:48  |  Simon Mohammed 17/08/07
  53.   To 48 Mr. Avraham, Your are right and i my question How to make 18:25  |  Simon Mohammed 17/08/07
  54.   Riyadh: Syria spreading chaos in the Middle East 18:26  |  alex 17/08/07
  55.   To 48 Mr. Avraham, the same i just fix the speeling. lol 18:28  |  Simon Mohammed 17/08/07
  56.   dam assad 18:29  |  lebanese 17/08/07
  57.   #33 Someone please give Indrajaya some of his good thing 18:41  |  McQueen 17/08/07
  58.   Avraham - #48 - - - A GREAT POST 18:48  |  Double Click 17/08/07
  59.   Saudis are the most corrupt country in ME 18:51  |  mehmet 17/08/07
  60.   # 28 Palestinian on the truth...... 18:53  |  Lynn 17/08/07
  61.   Christoph #13 18:57  |  Muggi 17/08/07
  62.   #31 Lebanese 18:58  |  Lynn 17/08/07
  63.   Syria spreading chaos in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia 18:58  |  Elie 17/08/07
  64.   Saudis are Hyppocrites 19:06  |  Sunny 17/08/07
  65.   to "another syrian" 19:06  |  abe 17/08/07
  66.   Unfortunately, as fires of discontent rage in the Arab forest... 19:10  |  bat yam 17/08/07
  67.   #13 19:17  |  Zoltan 17/08/07
  68.   ZION 19:17  |  ZION 17/08/07
  69.   Syria and Saudi - brothers in dictatorship 19:19  |  Tom 17/08/07
  70.   to amer 19:23  |  another syrian 17/08/07
  71.   Avraham 19:24  |  Amer 17/08/07
  72.   Bill Foonman 19:29  |  Man on a tree 17/08/07
  73.   Mehmet - #59 19:32  |  David Israel 17/08/07
  74.   Solon 19:34  |  Funny 17/08/07
  75.   Lynn - Freedom is where its at 19:37  |  American 17/08/07
  76.   Post #62 - The Muslim Basher 19:41  |  Double Click 17/08/07
  77.   Turban turbulance 19:44  |  Chaim Gorenstein 17/08/07
  78.   Syria is the only hope for peace in ME 19:44  |  Tosefta (the Syrian) 17/08/07
  79.   to pseudo american 19:53  |  abe 17/08/07
  80.   Person calling himself American 19:55  |  David Israel 17/08/07
  81.   Wearing the veil in Syria - No 46 20:10  |  Palestinian Brit 17/08/07