What did Boris Johnson say about Saudi Arabia and why is it so controversial?
He accused the King of Saudi Arabia of 'playing proxy wars'
FOREIGN Secretary Boris Johnson was caught up in another diplomatic gaffe when he accused the King of Saudi Arabia of 'playing proxy wars'.
He was given a slap down from Prime Minister Theresa May who had recently visited the Saudi King- but why were his comments so offensive?
What did Boris Johnson say?
The foreign secretary reportedly told a conference in Rome that .
He also accused them of "twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives".
Speaking specifically about the two countries, Mr Johnson added: "That’s why you’ve got the Saudis, Iran, everybody, moving in, and puppeteering and playing proxy wars."
What does the term 'proxy wars' mean?
A proxy war is a conflict between two states where neither one directly engages with the other.
This can mean armed confrontation but the two powers focus on using external strife to somehow attack the interests or territorial holdings of the other.
This frequently involves both countries fighting their opponents allies or assisting their allies in fighting their opponent.
Proxy wars were especially common during the Cold War.
Why were Boris Johnson's comments so controversial?
The comments made by the foreign secretary came days after his boss, Mrs May, visited Saudi Arabia.
She told the Saudis they were one of "our oldest and most dependable allies".
Mrs May spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia during her visit to the Persian Gulf this week, and told him of "her commitment and that of her Government to enhancing and strengthening this relationship".
What other things has Boris Johnson said?
Earlier this month Mr Johnson sparked a fresh split in the Cabinet when he backed the idea of a EU army despite defence secretary Michael Fallon repeatedly warning the move poses a major threat to NATO, and encourages the US to walk away from Europe just as Russia re-emerges as a serious aggressor.
In a speech, Mr Johnson said: "There’s a conversation going on now about the EU’s desire to build a common security and defence policy, and a new architecture for that.
"If they want to do that, fine.
"We are not there to block or to impede further steps towards EU integration if that is what they desire."
However No.10 was quick to distance itself from his comments.
The PM’s official spokesman said: "What we have been clear about is whatever defence and security processes are put in place, they complement NATO and don’t duplicate it.
"NATO is the bedrock of our defence.
"We’ve been clear we don’t agree with a common European defence force."
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