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Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/48768545
Saudi-Iran Struggle Likely to Get Worse
(CNBC) Felix Imonti - When the Arab Spring reached Syria, appeals from tribal leaders there to kinsmen in the Gulf States for assistance could not be ignored. At least 3 million people out of Syria's 23 million have links with the Gulf States. The Saudis and their Qatar and UAE allies have pledged $100 million to pay the fighters, and many of the officers of the Free Syrian Army are from tribes connected to the Gulf. Here, the U.S. is not a welcomed partner, except as a supplier of arms. Saudi Arabia sees the role of the U.S. limited to being a wall of steel to protect the oil wealth of the kingdom and the Gulf States from Iranian aggression.