Saudi Arabian spymaster blasts US regional policies

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s top intelligence officer Tuesday said the kingdom was planning to reduce cooperation with the U.S. in the arming and training of Syrian rebels because it was unhappy with Washington’s Middle Eastern policies.

According to a report published in Wall Street Journal, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan al-Saud criticized American policy while hosting a group of European diplomats on the weekend, railing against Washington’s decision not to bomb Syria last month.

He also expressed concern over the thawing of relations with old foe Iran and voicing displeasure at Washington’s wavering support for Sunni insurgents fighting against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The prince told the envoys that Washington had failed to act effectively on the Syria crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran and had not backed Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.