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Saudis quietly working to curb Iran's influence
By DONNA ABU-NASR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12/3/2006

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Worried by Iran's deepening involvement in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has been working quietly to curtail the Shiite nation's influence and prevent the marginalization of Sunni Muslims in the region's hot spots.

Analysts say the tug-of-war between the two Mideast powers signals a new chapter in an uneasy relationship, one that has swung over the years between wariness and outright confrontation.

On the surface, both countries have maintained the civil front that has marked ties since a thaw in relations in the early 1990s.

"But events on the ground indicate that the two countries are working against each other as their differences are played out outside their borders," said Ibrahim Bayram, a reporter for a Lebanese newspaper, who follows the country's pro-Iranian Hezbollah group.

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http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061203/1053573.asp