Saudi Arabia’s Role and Attitude within the Arab League to the 2003 US Invasion of Iraq

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the situation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its role in the Arab League regarding the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, given that both countries have crucial Arab and regional political influence, and because this study is significant in the political reality of contemporary Arab history.

During that period, the Arab region witnessed political developments and important events, and the policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was emergence in its dealings with those events within the framework of the Arab League. Its policy was featured by duality. So it did not take a clear situation, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was wary of Iraq and its arming, which posed a threat to its security. However, it was unable to support open military operations against Iraq.

The other Arab countries took different situations towards Iraq, between rejection, support and reservation. These countries were disunited among themselves in the Arab League conferences in determining their position on Iraq. While the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the most concerned among the other Arab countries about the results of the war and its expected fallout against Iraq on the internal situation in it. It did not want change in Iraq through war, because of its dire consequences. As it did not welcome it at all, because the outbreak of that war, from its point of view, might be prolonged, and large numbers of American forces would arrive on Saudi soil and remain for a long time.

Consequently, it was necessary in this study to shed light or make clear on the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its position within the Council of the League of Arab States regarding the American occupation of Iraq, and the extent to which that position affected the nature of Arab political relations due to the contradictory situations taken by Arab countries in the conferences of the League of Arab States.