| Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington warned Monday against a hasty US retreat from Iraq, and said dividing the country on ethnic lines would unleash massive ethnic cleansing. Prince Turki al-Faisal cautioned against the notion of splitting the war-scarred nation into three sectors for Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis. “Since America came into Iraq uninvited, it should not leave Iraq uninvited,” said Prince Turki, in comments which came against a rising tide of calls ahead of next week’s legislative elections for US troops to leave Iraq. Withdrawal of American forces should only follow intense dialogue between Washington and the Iraqi government on their future relationship, Prince Turki said at the annual conference of the National Council on US-Arab Relations, a private outreach group. Prince Turki also rejected suggestions which have gained currency among some congressional figures and commentators that Iraq can no longer exist as a unified state and should be split into autonomous sectors on ethnic lines. “To envision that you can divide Iraq into three parts is to envision ethnic cleansing on a massive scale, sectarian killing on a massive scale and the uprooting of families,” he said. “Those who call for a partition of Iraq are calling for a three-fold increase in the problems,” Prince Turki said. “It is practically impossible for Iraq to be divided on sectarian lines or even on ethnic lines; there is just too much intermingling of Iraqis with each other in every part of Iraq.” |