Around two weeks ago, Iraqi Ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Ghanim al-Jumaily visited the offices of Al-Hayat in Riyadh. We talked a lot about the current situation in Iraq and the numerous crises which affected it and disbanded its people. Two days before this visit, I carried an article in Al-Hayat headlined “Lebanon and Denial,” in which I stressed the necessity for Saudi Arabia to rearrange its political priorities in the region because Iraq constitutes a strategic depth to it and enjoys a common border with it - considered the longest with the neighboring states after Yemen. The Saudi efforts to support Iraq and follow up on its situation never stopped, even if deployed in silence. Indeed, Saudi Arabia continued to support Iraq's right to its unity, sovereignty and the safety of its soil and continued to maintain an equal distance vis-à-vis all the conflicting sides and parties in it, while abstaining from interfering in its domestic affairs. Moreover, in its quasi weekly Cabinet sessions, the Saudi government kept calling on all the Iraqis to hold on to their unity, sovereignty and rights, to stop the bloodshed and reject foreign interferences in Iraq's internal affairs by states that are trying to weaken it. It also demanded the hastening of the Iraqi government formation, in order to offer more security and stability to this country which is facing numerous challenges. Yesterday, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz invited President Jalal Talabani, all the parties which participated in the elections, and the Iraqi political dignitaries to Riyadh following the pilgrimage season, in order to seek the resolution of the problems facing the long-awaited government formation under the auspices of the Arab League. This invitation also aimed at allowing these leaders to decide which road to adopt to serve the best interests of Iraq and its people. There is no doubt that this is a positive and expected initiative from a king who is a great human being. Although it is a little late, it conveys the principles of the Saudi policy which is interested in the affairs of Iraq as a brotherly Arab country and an important neighboring state in the region. It is based on Saudi Arabia's equal treatment of all the Iraqis and its work to uphold Iraq's strength and interests, not to weaken it, divide its people or disperse its efforts. Iraq is going through crises which have placed it on a crossroads. This situation was caused by the acute sectarian and political polarization which rendered the delay affecting the Iraqi government formation a threat lurking the country and opening the door before foreign agendas wishing to use Iraq as an arena for the regional conflict. Therefore, more positive positions should be adopted to ensure security and stability in Iraq, a necessity which prompted the Saudi monarch to make this “Arab” call on all the Iraqi parties to put Iraq's interests first. King Abdullah was able to manage many important files on the Arab, Islamic and international levels. Moreover, he deployed exceptional efforts in support of joint Arab action and to secure concord between conflicting sides in other Arab countries. In February 2007, he sponsored inter-Palestinian reconciliation in Holy Mecca. He adopted the famous reconciliation between Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Chadian President Edriss Déby and gave a lot of attention to the handling of the situation in Lebanon, thus holding the July tripartite summit in Beirut in the presence of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese President Brigadier General Michel Suleiman. Prior to that, he also issued a call to secure inter-Arab reconciliation during the Kuwait economic summit in 2009. Consequently, the invitation addressed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz to the Iraqi president and all the parties which participated in the elections to come to Riyadh, sit around the same table under the auspices of the Arab League and on the soil of an Arab capital to overcome the obstacles facing the formation of the government, is a continuation of the efforts which the Kingdom has been deploying to achieve stability in the region. All these efforts aim at maintaining the unity of the Arab nation, at upholding the unification of the ranks, at distancing this nation from sedition and strife and at eliminating the weakness and the mistakes. The efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to resolve the Arab and regional crises are clear to all, and have earned him an exceptional position in the Arab and Islamic worlds. Moreover, he became a prominent reference for the resolution of numerous problems and his country turned into a major international partner in a number of international political and economic forums. This was all made possible by his expertise and his wish to spread global peace. As for Saudi Arabia, it is politically and diplomatically qualified to achieve stability in the region, owing to its strategic relationships and status. I therefore think that Riyadh is capable of securing Iraqi reconciliation and of playing an important role in eliminating the obstacles facing the formation of the Iraqi government, in order to block the way before those lurking Iraq and interfering in its domestic affairs. In this context, Saudi foreign policy is known for its wisdom, rationality, non-interference in other countries' affairs and equal treatment of all the concerned sides at it was seen in many stands and situations. As a result, there is no doubt that the position of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his ongoing initiatives to achieve security and stability in the region, confirm that his call on the Iraqi people is truly the call of the king who is concerned about his nation and seeking the protection of its pride and status at a time when the crises have dissipated all the hopes and weakened the determination. What remains to be done is for all the Iraqi parties to pick up the positive facets featured in this initiative, so that the Iraqi word is unified, the bad feelings are driven away and the bases of reconciliation are set up to reach a unified and independent Iraq far from any interferences. The initiative of King Abdullah truly constitutes a historic occasion to bring the Iraqis together and deter the strife which is on the brink of destroying their country that is dear to every proud Arab. The Iraqis must seize this occasion which consecrates the meanings of joint Arab action, as long as their talks will be held under the umbrella of the Arab League. The Iraqis probably know – better than anyone else – the major challenges facing the unity of the Land of the Two Rivers and the ambitions of many sides in it. They should thus confidently head toward reconciliation with open hearts, perceptive minds and a willingness to offer the required concessions to reach the desired results.
