U.S. Officials Emphasize Depth Of Saudi-U.S. Relations, Praise Cooperation

President George W. Bush and senior officials in his administration have publicly rejected an assertion by an American analyst claiming that the U.S. cannot rely on Saudi Arabia as a close ally, and stated that on the contrary, Saudi-U.S. relations remain strong and that the Kingdom is cooperating closely with Washington in the fight against international terrorism.

In a telephone call to Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on August 26, President Bush emphasized his rejection of the contents of a briefing given by Laurent Murawiec of the Rand Corporation to the U.S. Defense Policy Board on July 10, in which he described the Kingdom as an enemy of the United States.

President Bush praised the historic strong relations between the United States and the Kingdom, and described as "irresponsible" the media coverage given to Mr. Murawiec’s unfounded views on the status of the relations between the two friendly countries, saying it neither expressed the reality of the ties nor reflected the strength of the bilateral relations. Such ideas, he said, will have no effect on the two countries’ deep-rooted friendship and the cooperation that has existed for decades, even in the current circumstances.

Crown Prince Abdullah expressed appreciation for President Bush’s assurances and spoke of the deep, historic roots that have existed between the two nations for nearly seven decades.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz on August 7 to express his concern and that of the U.S. Department of Defense with Mr. Murawiec’s views. Secretary Rumsfeld stressed that the Defense Department rejects those views.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal also responded to Mr. Murawiec’s assertion by saying that the two countries share a history of close relations dating back almost seven decades and emphasizing that ties are "excellent in all fields." In a statement released in Jeddah on August 6, Prince Saud described as "pure fiction" Mr. Murawiec’s views, and emphasized that his opinion is rejected by President Bush as well as senior officials in Washington, DC. Prince Saud added that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had called him shortly after the statement was made public to assure Saudi Arabia of the Bush administration’s commitment to maintaining close relations with the Kingdom. Prince Saud also praised President Bush, Secretary Rumsfeld and other senior U.S. officials for their repudiation of these unfounded allegations.

Prince Saud added that Secretary Powell reiterated the Bush administration’s long-standing position regarding the close and historic ties between the two countries, and emphasized that there is no change in the strong relationship between them. Prince Saud expressed his appreciation to Secretary Powell, and stated: "It is unfortunate that there are people in some quarters who are trying to cast doubt and undermine the solid and historic ties between our two countries.  I am confident that they will not succeed."

In an interview on ABC-TV’s "This Week" on August 11, Prince Saud again spoke of the deep and close relations that exist between Saudi Arabia and the United States. He said the wide coverage given by the U.S. media to Mr. Murawiec’s views, which are rejected by the Bush administration, diverts attention from the war against international terrorism, which poses a real threat to the United States, Saudi Arabia and other peaceful nations of the world.

Prince Saud stressed that Saudi Arabia has been a staunch ally of the United States in the fight against terrorism, adding: "we are working assiduously with the United States in this regard. We have a committee on which we share information. We have a committee that also deals with the freezing of the assets of anybody who finances this terror." He added that efforts by some misguided individuals such are Mr. Murawiec "will divert attention from the true facts ... [that the threat] facing the United States is that it should be looking for allies to fight terrorism, not creating enemies out of allies." 

Saudi Leaders Greet Americans On Independence Day

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz sent a cable of congratulations to U.S. President George W. Bush on the occasion of Independence Day on the 4th of July. In his own name and on behalf of the Saudi government and people, King Fahd expressed his best wishes for President Bush’s good health and happiness, and for the steady progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the United States. King Fahd used this opportunity to reaffirm the Kingdom’s determination to further strengthen the close relations and strong links that bind the two countries and their peoples, adding that he looks forward to continued cooperation on urgent issues both regionally and internationally.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, both sent similar cables of congratulations to President Bush.

Saudi Leaders Greet Americans On Independence Day

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz sent a cable of congratulations to U.S. President George W. Bush on the occasion of Independence Day on the 4th of July. In his own name and on behalf of the Saudi government and people, King Fahd expressed his best wishes for President Bush’s good health and happiness, and for the steady progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the United States. King Fahd used this opportunity to reaffirm the Kingdom’s determination to further strengthen the close relations and strong links that bind the two countries and their peoples, adding that he looks forward to continued cooperation on urgent issues both regionally and internationally.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector-General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, both sent similar cables of congratulations to President Bush.