A Saudi Official's Rare Reflection on Extremism's Roots | "Bitter Rivals" | FRONTLINE

In Saudi Arabia, it can be rare for leaders to openly acknowledge any link between the kingdom’s ultra-conservative strain of Islam known as Wahhabism, and the global rise of extremism and terrorism. Instead, the government frequently blames extremism on the kingdom’s arch-nemesis, Iran.

But in a conversation with FRONTLINE’s Martin Smith, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir makes a rare on-camera reflection -- telling Smith that while he primarily blames Iran’s Shia revolution for sparking a rise in Sunni extremist ideologies that were eventually adopted by Al Qaeda and ISIS, Saudi Arabia deserves some blame, too.

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"Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia" tells the epic, inside story of a dangerous feud that has plunged the Middle East into unprecedented levels of violence — with exclusive, on-the-ground reporting from inside both countries as well as Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Lebanon.

"Bitter RivalsIran and Saudi Arabia" premieres Tues., Feb. 20 at 9/8c and Tues., Feb. 27 at 10/9c on PBS & online

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FRONTLINE is made possible by PBS and CPB. Major support is provided by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Park Foundation, The John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, the Heising-Simons Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. Major support for "Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia" is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with additional support from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religion in International Affairs and The Pew Charitable Trusts.