The head of the Gulf Co-Operation Council (GCC) bloc has publicly denounced allegations by the Iraqi prime minister that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are openly funding Sunni Muslim terrorism in his country.
In an interview with France 24 earlier this week, Iraq’s Nouri Al Maliki alleged that the two GCC states were bankrolling the insurgents his troops are fighting in the Shi’ite-majority country’s western Anbar province.
Iraq’s security forces have been battling insurgents linked to the Al Qaeda affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant since January, after the arrest of a Sunni lawmaker and clearing of anti-government protest camp spurred a tribal revolt.
“I accuse [Saudi and Qatar] of inciting and encouraging the terrorist movements. I accuse them of supporting them politically and in the media, of supporting them with money and by buying weapons for them,” Al Maliki was quoted as saying.
In a statement carried by the Kuwait state news service KUNA on Tuesday, GCC secretary general Abdullatif Al Zayani denounced the allegations as aggressive and baseless.
“The GCC countries were in the forefront of those countries which suffered, and were affected, from criminal terrorist acts. They have exerted, and are even still exerting, great efforts on all levels to fight and eradicate terrorism,” Al Zayani said. “Such efforts are recognised and appreciated by all world countries and Iraq’s unbiased parties.”
The GCC is a six-nation co-operation between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
Saudi Arabia had previously criticised Al Maliki’s stance as “aggressive and irresponsible”.
Maliki has long had chilly relations with the Gulf states, who view him as too close to Iran, and has long suspected them of funding al Qaeda-linked groups in order to bring down his Shi’ite-led government.
He accused the Saudi government of allowing “commissions” there “to attract Jihadists, to lure them, to get them fighting in Iraq”.
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