FROM THE PRESS, EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS, and photos

During January and February, Saudi Arabian newspapers reported on a variety of topics related to the Kingdom and the world.  Major headlines reported that: 

•  The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz sends a cable of congratulations to King of Bahrain Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifah on the occasion of the proclamation of Bahrain as a Kingdom and the establishment of full constitutional institutions. 

• On the instructions of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Red Crescent Society airlifts 100 tons of foodstuffs and emergency relief supplies for victims of drought in Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the society sends a large shipment of medical supplies across the Red Sea to help alleviate an acute shortage of medicine in Djibouti. 

• Minister of State and Cabinet Member Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz lays the foundation stone for the medical complex in Riyadh that will include the King Fahd Charity Kidney Center. 

• Saudi journalist Nahid Bashateh wins a prize for excellence in journalism in a competition organized by the Arab Women’s Center for Training and Research in Tunis on the occasion of Arab Women’s Day on February 1.  

EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS

FRANK ADVICE FOR THE U.S. FROM AN ALLY

Saudi Arabia newspapers commented on Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz's vision of peace in the Middle East based on full Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories it has occupied since the 1967 war in return for normalization of relations between the Arab States and Israel. The newspapers were unanimous in viewing the initiative as a sincere effort by an Arab leader who wants to help halt the violence and bring about a just and lasting peace.

The Riyadh-based English-language daily Saudi Gazette said in an editorial entitled "Frank Advice" that the Crown Prince's decision to publicize his vision was based on a sincere desire to resolve the conflict, and show all involved parties - including the United States, the co-sponsor of the stalled peace process - the most realistic and effective route to take if they genuinely seek peace.

The newspaper said Crown Prince Abdullah's message for the Bush Administration was "friendly advice from an ally of six decades [that] can help the U.S. not only to understand Saudi Arabia, but also re-shape it policy on two issues: America's credibility [in the Arab and Islamic worlds], and events in the occupied Palestinian territories".

The newspaper said Crown Prince Abdullah's statement: "I have great concerns about American's credibility, and I care about how America is perceived", should demonstrate to the U.S. that Saudi Arabia is "an honest friend ....  but since some sections of the American polity have a myopic view of their own nation and are not willing to accept friendly advice, Crown Prince Abdullah told them in no uncertain terms that although Saudi Arabia was very proud of its ties with the United States, in the current environment he finds it very difficult to defend" U.S. policy concerning the Arab-Israeli crisis.

The Riyadh-based daily Arab News said that by ignoring Israeli atrocities in the occupied territories and blindly accepting the Israeli assertion that peace is unlikely until the Palestinians unilaterally halt the violence, the U.S. has placed itself in an untenable position - one in which it has been reduced to watching from the sideline as events spiral out of control, further eroding American credibility and influence.

Page thirteen photo: GCC health ministers meet in Riyadh

Health ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - met in Riyadh in January. The ministers discussed ways of promoting cooperation among the member states in the medical field.

Page sixteen photo: Discussing Saudi-U.S. relations

Dean of the Economic Department at King Saud University Dr. Nourah Al-Yousef addressed the Center for Policy Analyziz on Palestine in Washington, DC, in February. She was a member of an eight-person delegation led by Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud that visited Washington to discuss Saudi-U.S. relations.