Saudi Ambassador Says More Troops Needed in Iraq

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Thu Oct 28, 7:06 PM ET World - Reuters


By Barry Moody and Jeremy Lovell

LONDON (Reuters) - Iraq has become a magnet for foreign terrorists since the U.S.-led invasion last year and there are not enough troops to cope, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Britain said on Thursday.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi spy master, said a fragmentation of Iraq would pose a major threat to world peace.

The invasion in March 2003 and subsequent disbanding of the Iraqi security services had opened up a void into which militants were flooding, he told Reuters in an interview.

"Iraq is a magnet for terrorists. The invasion has definitely not met the expectations of President Bush that it would be an end to terrorism in our part of the world," said Prince Turki.

"There are just not enough security forces on the ground to meet the needs of the situation," he said.

"Centrifugal forces have increased in Iraq. Fragmentation would be detrimental not just to Saudi Arabia but first of all to the Iraqi people, secondly to all of the neighboring countries and thirdly to the world community."

Prince Turki, who has been ambassador to Britain for just under two years, said far more troops were needed in Iraq but declined to give a figure.

The United States has some 130,000 troops in Iraq, while Britain with the second largest foreign contingent has just over 8,000.

SAUDI TROOP PLAN

Prince Turki said he hoped a Saudi plan put forward in July for a multinational Arab and Muslim security force to replace the existing U.S. and other foreign contingents would get a new lease of life after the U.S. presidential election next week.

"It is still on the table. I think it has not been taken up because of the election," he said, stressing the plan had the backing of the Arab and Muslim world.

Prince Turki said he did not see much difference on Middle East policy between President Bush and his Democrat challenger John Kerry who are running virtually neck and neck in opinion polls.

"They are both saying the same thing -- whether it is Palestine or Iraq," he said. "It is regrettable."

Prince Turki said he had no fear for the future of relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States, historically strong allies.

"We are not concerned about our strategic interests in America," he said, although he noted many Saudi Arabians had left the United States since the Sept 11. attacks in 2001 carried out by a group of mostly Saudi al Qaeda militants.

While declining to be drawn on the future of the Middle East peace process in the wake of concerns over Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's health, Prince Turki expressed general pessimism.

"Whatever it is that (Ariel) Sharon is doing it is going to lead to more bloodshed," he said of the Israeli prime minister's plans to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank without a deal with the Palestinians.