Saudi prince: Divisions among Arabs helped Iran's regional rise

Saudi Arabia's former ambassador to Washington has described Iran as a paper tiger with claws of steel and cited differences among Arabs as the main reason for its increased regional role.

Prince Turki al-Faisal's remarks came at a closed-door meeting Saturday at the University of Jordan's Strategic Studies Center. They were reported on Sunday by an Arab diplomat in Jordan and a former Jordanian official, both of whom attended the meeting, as well as Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan newspaper. The two men spoke on condition of anonymity because of issue's sensitivity.

Turki, a brother of Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, does not hold a government position. But he has lately been speaking out on a number of issues. In an op-ed piece published in London's Financial Times last January, Turki said former President George W. Bush left a sickening legacy in the Middle East and warned U.S.-Saudi relations would be at risk if the administration of President Barack Obama doesn't change America's policy in the region.

In Saturday's remarks, Turki, who is also the former intelligence chief, said Iran's political regime is frail but has strong tools that enable it to achieve its expansionist aspirations at the expense of Arab interests.

"Arab differences represent a main reason for the increased Iranian role in the region that comes at the expense of crucial Arab interests and issues," said Turki, according to Al-Watan.

"Iran is a paper tiger with claws of steel," the paper quoted him as saying.

Saudi Arabia and mainly Shiite Iran are seen as top rivals for influence in the Middle East, standing on opposite sides of political divides in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

The overwhelmingly Sunni kingdom as well as other Arab countries, such as Egypt, are deeply worried that Iran is seeking to fuel Islamic radicalism and establish itself as a regional superpower. They blame Syria, a close ally of Tehran, for helping it gain influence in crises they believe are none of Persian Iran's business, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, inter-Palestinian fighting and Lebanon's simmering tensions.

Saudi Arabia also believes that the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq has allowed Iran to become the most influential power in that country and deepened Sunni-Shiite rifts across the region. In September 2005, Prince Saud told the Council on Foreign Relations that Washington is essentially handing Iraq to Iran on a gold platter.

Turki reiterated his brother's remarks at Saturday's gathering, adding that former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice objected to them.

He also said his country can play a vital role to restore security in Iraq. He did not elaborate on that.

	Saudi Arabia's former ambassador to Washington, Prince Turki al-Faisal.
	Photo by: (Reuters)