Cairo- In the wake of the so-called "neighbours-plus" conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal in comments published Saturday said the situation in Iraq is only getting worse and that civil war could break out in the already-divided country. "The situation in Iraq is only getting worse," al-Faisal, who was considered one of the key players in the Egypt conference, told al- Hayat newspaper. "We fear that the situation will deteriorate into a civil war."
Al-Faisal's remarks followed a conference which ended Friday and was regarded by independent observers as a disappointment.
The 18th conference on Iraq since the US-led occupation of the country in 2003 brought together leaders from 21 countries along with top international diplomats but failed to bring about a landmark resolution for Iraq - neither for the long nor the short term.
The Saudi minister's statements to the conference delegations were not as pessimistic as his press statements on the sidelines.
Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki, whose cabinet is under fire from the Iraqi people for failing to curb the ongoing violence despite of a fresh security plane, did not receive the expected support from some of the Arab governments.
During the conference, reports even circulated saying that al- Faisal had refused to meet with al-Maliki. If this were true it could imply the lack of Saudi support for the Shiite premier.
Saudi Arabia, a strict Sunni state, has lately been brokering peace in the region - bringing rival Palestinian factions together through a Mecca-based peace deal and slowly embarking on a much bigger role in Middle East peace and conflict issues. But so far, the state has not given its unswerving "blessing" to al-Maliki.
When asked by al-Hayat if the Saudi government was willing to back al-Maliki's cabinet, al-Faisal said: "We do not interfere in the internal matters of Iraq or any other country. This is up to the Iraqis."
He added that al-Maliki's government has an important role in "convincing" participants in the upcoming and much-anticipated Iraqi national reconciliation meeting "that (the Iraqi government) is the side that they should trust."
He also said that it is up to the Iraqi government to end the troubles of "all Iraqis."
Concerning Iraq's armed militias, who are said to have infiltrated army, police and government ranks, al-Faisal said: "Is it acceptable that militias are part of a legitimate government now?"
Al-Maliki's ruling coalition The United Iraqi Alliance, which has the biggest representation in Iraq's parliament, includes members of al-Sadr faction. This is led by the feared Muqtada al-Sadr who is blamed - along with his backers - for the raging violence and many attacks across Iraq. The faction is also said to have supporters among police and army forces.
The presence of this and such Shiite radicals have encouraged, in many instances, Sunni voices to question al-Maliki's policies and consider them "discriminatory."
More than once, al-Maliki has dodged such accusations, claiming that the government clamps down on extremists from both sides - Shiites and Sunnis - and is equal to all.
But his claims usually fall on deaf ears amid the intense power struggle between both religious factions.
