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Iraq asks Saudi Arabia to replace its ambassador

Xinhua, August 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iraq asked Saudi Arabia on Sunday to replace its ambassador in Baghdad, stressing that his presence in Iraq would hamper the development of bilateral ties, the official television reported.

Ahmed Jamal, spokesman of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, told the state-run Iraqiya channel that Iraqi senior officials sent a request to Riyadh to take appropriate measure and replace its ambassador Thamer al-Sabhan.

"The presence of Sabhan is an obstacle to the development of relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia," the channel quoted Jamal as saying.

Previously, media reports said that Sabhan, 49, spoke on his Twitter account about a "terrorist plot" to assassinate him by powerful Shiite militia, led by Aws al-Khafaji, which is part of the government-backed Hashd Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization units.

According to Jamal, Sabhan's information about assassination plot was "inaccurate allegations, and such claims are only meant to damage relations between Baghdad and Riyadh."

Many Iraqi Shiite politicians and militias have frequently made calls to expel Sabhan because he repeatedly called on the Iraqi government to exclude the Shiite Hashd Shaabi units from the military operations to free the predominantly Sunni provinces in order to avoid abuses against the Sunni residents.

Later on Sunday, Sabhan told the pan-Arab Arabiyah channel that the relation between Baghdad and Riyadh will not be harmed and the Iraqi government's call of replacement was probably made under pressure by some political parties and paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units.

"The policy of the Saudi Arabia Kingdom is clear and explicit to Iraq and will not change by the individuals," Sabhan said.

The Iraqi government's request reflects the deep sectarian division between the Sunni regional power, led by Saudi Arabia, and the Shiite regional power, led by Iran, amid increasing bloody conflicts such as in Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

Sabhan is the first Saudi ambassador appointed in his country's embassy in Baghdad, which was only reopened in last December since 1990 when Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Endit