Saudi Arabia using OIC as tool for own interests: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed James Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst in Washington, about Iran criticizing the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for being dominated by certain member states and for its failure to avoid bias in its decision-making processes.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: You did hear that the senior Iranian diplomat in a way criticizes and censures the OIC of biased positions. Now do you agree with that and what exactly is he referring to in your mind?

Jatras: Well it certainly seems that way and it appears that the language used to criticize the OIC was actually rather moderate in specifically not mentioning the prime country that is involved here and as we know that is Saudi Arabia which clearly is trying to use the OIC as a tool for its own state interest and perhaps its own sectarian interest and of course this would not be the first time. We recall that the OIC took the side of Iraq against Iran during the Iran-Iraq war and that also in favor of Kuwait against Iraq during the first [Persian] Gulf war. So we are really, I think, seeing a polarization of the organization in a way that serves, let’s be honest, Saudi interests.  

Press TV: The remarks made in the statements or on the speech given by the Iranian President which cautions on the fact that there are certain divisive measures taking place on the scene, how significant are they and how deeply do they strike at the very heart of the issues that the Islamic world is now facing?

Jatras: Well I think one of the issues that needs to be focused on and there have been calls for this is the whole issue of terrorism. It is interesting that the OIC wants to single out Hezbollah in its statement but nothing is being said about Daesh, nothing is said about the terrorist groups in Syria supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, nothing is being said about the terror bombing of Yemen by Saudi Arabia. So again there seems to be a very selective and one-sided way of approaching some of the relevant issues.

Press TV: And very briefly, do you think the stances adopted by the Saudi-led, let’s say, coalition within the OIC is driven more by sectarian and religious stances or there is a lot more to it in terms of political stances and geopolitics?

Jatras: I am not sure how you really separate the sectarian and the political interest in a state like Saudi Arabia which after all is a private family concern, it is a privately owned state and it is wedded to the most extreme and intolerant doctrine that can be found -Wahhabism. So I do not think you can really separate those two things.  

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