FROM THE PRESS, EDITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS, and photos

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

• Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh co-chair Saudi-Yemeni talks in Jeddah.

• The Center of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom announces a new fellowship in Islamic jurisprudence in honor of Crown Prince Abdullah.

• Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal meets in Jeddah with U.S. Assistant Deputy Secretary of State David Saterfield to discuss bilateral relations, and regional and international developments.

• The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Jeddah sets up a college for training female intensive care nurses.

• Jawad Al-Hashim, a 15-year-old Saudi student at Mubarrez Secondary School in Al-Hasa in the Eastern Province, beats out thousands of competitors from around the world to win first place in Microsoft’s international information design contest, receiving a scholarship from Microsoft, for tuition and board for eight years at a U.S. university.

SAUDI-U.S. RIFT REWARDS TERRORISTS

An editorial in the English-language Jeddah daily Arab News spoke of the need for maintaining close Saudi-U.S. relations and the dangers that a rift could pose to regional and international stability and security. "Recent events and the spiraling level of criticism directed at Saudi Arabia have called into question the durability of our friendship," the editorial said. "That this should be causing us the most profound concern and the greatest sorrow should come as no surprise to anyone who truly understands our relationship," which is based on close cooperation over a period of some seven decades. "Indeed, our only disagreement with the U.S. has been over .... the vexing issue of Palestine and Israel. Yet we have never suggested that if you are not with us then you are against us. Instead, despite often being .... apart on this issue, we have not hesitated to try to come up with solutions to resolve the crisis."

The criticism of Saudi Arabia reflected in the U.S. media may be due to the fact "that we are approaching the first anniversary of the heinous acts that took place on September 11, perpetrated by 19 terrorists. .... [who] were guided in their actions by Osama bin Laden. The government of Saudi Arabia has expressed its profound sorrow both for what happened and for the fact that so many Saudis were involved. But endless analysis of such criminal madness can only lead us to conclude that Bin Laden involved Saudi nationals in order to engineer .... a growing rift between our two countries. .... We are all agreed that he must not succeed. So Saudi Arabia will continue to support the U.S. in its war against terrorism."

The editorial observed that both sides realize that the war against terrorism could be undertaken more effectively "if we are united rather than divided. Instead of expending our energies on creating divisions between our countries, we should be doing all that we can to cement our mutual ties.

"If our two nations can work together to root out the causes and the perpetrators of terrorism, and to avert any further horrendous acts of violence, then we will have done far more to honor the memory of those who died so needlessly on 9/11 than any war of words. "So why does Saudi Arabia want good relations with the United States? The answer is as simple as the question - because friendship works.

Page six photo:

CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH MEETS WITH KING ABDULLAH OF JORDAN

Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz met with King Abdullah of Jordan on August 12.

Page eight photo:

FRIENDLY MEETING IN CRAWFORD

President George W. Bush met with Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz on August 27 at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. The two discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, as well as the latest developments in the Arabian Gulf region, the Middle East and the world.