Al-Maliki: Saudi and Qatari regimes waging war on Iraq and Syria by supporting terrorism

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that the regimes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar declared war on Iraq and Syria, and that they destabilize them by encouraging and supporting terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda.

In an interview given to France 24 on Saturday, al-Maliki said that the Saudi and Qatari regimes motivate terrorist organizations and provide political and media support to them along with generous financial support and weapons.

He asserted that this constitutes a declared war on Iraq, voicing regret that these two regimes are waging war and leveling accusations at Iraq and Syria on sectarian and political backgrounds.

Al-Maliki noted that some European countries are cooperating with Saudi Arabia and Qatar in this, while others stood up to them recently when it became clear that Saudi Arabia is supporting international terrorism, particularly in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Libya.

He warned Saudi Arabia and Qatar that their support for terrorism will backfire, hoping that they will change their positions.

Al-Maliki said that terrorism and violence returned to Iraq due to the crisis in Syria which expanded due to the positions taken by the European Union, the United States and some Arab countries who didn’t realize the danger posed by the presence of Al Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, declaring their support for the “Syrian opposition” as an alternative to the current political system when it isn’t fit for this.

“These terrorists are murderers and criminals, and the world made a mistake when it supported them and armed them,” he said, asserting the right of the Syrian people to choose their destiny and their leadership.