U.S. rejects Saudi view of Iraq as occupied

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday rejected Saudi Arabia's charge that Iraq is under an "illegitimate foreign occupation" and said U.S. troops are there at Iraq's invitation, under a U.N. mandate.

"It is not accurate to say that the United States is occupying Iraq," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.

The cross-fire reflecting growing differences between the two long-time allies at a time when the Saudis are taking on a greater leadership role in the Middle East.

Saudi King Abdullah surprised Washington on Wednesday by telling an Arab summit that, "In beloved Iraq, blood flows between brothers in the shadow of illegitimate foreign occupation and hateful sectarianism, threatening a civil war."

Perino said the United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship but made clear the Bush administration did not agree with the king's statement.

"When it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people," she said.

Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, acknowledged the administration was "a little surprised to see those remarks" and would seek clarification from the Saudis.

He said it was possible the king's comments might have been misinterpreted as a result of translation problems or could have been misreported by the media but expressed confidence the episode would not disrupt cooperation between Washington and Riyadh.