| March 7, 2003
Issue: # 19 |
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The
Saudi-American Forum
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The
Saudi-American Forum is an information
service designed to provide timely information
on background and current issues impacting the
U.S.-Saudi relationship.
The
Forum is a resource for Americans who value the
relationship between the United States and Saudi
Arabia and who want to act in response to erroneous
and misleading depictions of the relationship in the
media and elsewhere. The Forum will be a
vehicle for stakeholders in the U.S. Saudi
relationship to contribute their experiences and
their ideas and opinions on the issues of the day.
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President
George H. W. Bush Comments
on U.S.-Saudi Relations
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2003
Issam M. Fares Lecture
Tufts University
February
26, 2003
[Excerpt - See link below for
complete speech]
"...I
believe there are several dangerous misperceptions
in the Middle East that must be resolved before the
parties can find their way back to the path of
peace. And I furthermore believe there are a number
of false stereotypes that must be discarded so Arabs
and Americans can rise above current suspicions and
rebuild the harmonious and respectful relations that
mark out earlier history.
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"...in certain
quarters here in
the United States, there's a
certain ugly stereotyping
concerning Saudi Arabia...
...[it] offends me, and concerns
me..."
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"For
example, in certain quarters here in the United
States, there's a certain ugly stereotyping
concerning Saudi Arabia that emerged, maybe for
understandable reasons, but emerged after 9/11. This
stereotyping offends me, and concerns me. And our
President has spoken out against it several times.
It suggests that because most of the hijackers were
Saudi citizens, the Saudi government and the Saudi
people were also anti-American. And in my view,
nothing can be further from the truth. We have
different systems. But, with the exception of a
small fringe element that frankly exist in every
society-- Remember, Timothy McVeigh, a lot of people
were going, "Oh, he's probably an Arab
terrorist." Jumping to stereotypical
conclusions only to find that he was a right wing
nut. And the Saudis are our staunch allies and
friends, and I don't like it when some of the great
newspapers in this country try to make enemies out
of Saudi Arabia, or any other country out there,
except for one that I'm going to get to.
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"...the Saudis
are our staunch allies
and friends, and I don't like it
when some of the great newspapers
in this country try to make
enemies out of Saudi Arabia..."
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"If
I might add, together with the Palestinian statehood
initiative announced last June by the President,
when our President called for statehood for the
Palestinians, I believe the plan introduced by Crown
Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last year to advance
the peace process does offer real hope for ending
the bloodshed in the Middle East. And so I reject
this ignorant stereotype that was adopted in some
media outlets and elsewhere that all Saudis are our
enemies. It's as wrong as it can be. Just as it is
wrong for anyone to try and cast a cloud of
suspicion over all individuals of Arab decent, be
they Christians or followers of the Muslim faith.
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"...The United
States wants to see
all the people of the Eastern
Mediterranean and indeed
throughout the Arab world
live in peace and security.
We want them to have the
freedom to determine their
own destiny..."
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"Right
after 9/11 I was deeply touched, and still am, by
the comments of a little Arab American girl, an
American citizen in the United States. She asked
this question, "Does this mean they're going to
knock down my school?" She said something that
really penetrated. And so my message for Americans
is that we've got to remain tolerant, we've got to
continue striving to be a kinder and gentler nation
in this regard, choosing hope over hate. And I
honestly believe we will.
"I
believe that with institutions like yours, Leila,
offering positive leadership to foster a
constructive dialogue between Arabs and Americans,
we will indeed continue working to resist these
false stereotypes and overcome these distorted
perceptions. But, if this is my message and belief
when it comes to the American people that we must
cast aside misinformed theories and build new levels
of understanding, I would also say the same thing to
any family, any parent, indeed any child in the
Mideast today. My message to them too is to choose
hope over hate, and reject the false stereotypes and
distorted perceptions about the Untied States of
America..."
Complete
speech:
http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/030303BushSpeech.htm
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REPORTING,
ANALYSES & COMMENTARY
...background and context on current developments...
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Home-Grown
Saudi Reform
"...it seems clear that a political reform
movement is beginning to take shape in the oil
kingdom, and that it has the tentative support of
the country's ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah... ...The
Saudi intellectuals proposed an elected legislature,
rather than the current Shura Council, which is
appointed by the king; local and regional elections;
an independent judiciary; and a royal guarantee of
'freedom of expression, association, assembly, the
right to vote and to participate, as well as all
other human rights.' It urges full rights for women,
but within the Islamic sharia tradition. The
petition also urged the royal family to 'confront
financial corruption, widespread bribery and the
abuse of official power...'" Complete
report...
Reform
debate rages in Saudi Arabia
"Liberals and conservatives are vying for the
upper hand in a heated debate on reforms in Saudi
Arabia, fuelled by last month's rare meeting between
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and reformers.
At least a dozen pro-reform articles have been
published in local newspapers since the meeting in
late January to discuss a landmark reform petition,
including a front-page editorial in Okaz daily
entitled 'Yes to Reforms'..." Complete
report...
Saudi can banish ghost of 9/11
through OPEC oil surge
"After 18 months of
souring relations with its main Western ally in
Washington, the world's top oil supplier is leading
a move in the cartel ahead of a meeting on Tuesday
to crank up exports to cover for an expected halt
from Iraq. The
extra oil, mostly from Saudi Arabia, would ease
Washington's path to Baghdad by preventing oil
prices rising much further, and strengthen Riyadh's
role as central banker to the world oil market..."
Complete
report...
"Saudi Arabia, in further signs of support for
the United States, has stockpiled 15 million barrels
of oil and will help meet Jordan's energy needs at
no cost if needed in the case of a war with Iraq, an
Arab official said on Wednesday. These are two more
ways in which Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil
exporter and Washington's chief Arab ally, has
agreed to support a U.S.-led military action against
Iraq despite its preference for a diplomatic
solution..." Complete
report...
Saudi Troops Deploy to Guard
Kuwait
“More than 3,000 Saudi troops have deployed in
Kuwait to help protect it from an any Iraqi attack,
and the kingdom is taking steps to avoid an influx
of Iraqi refugees if war breaks out… …The 3,300
soldiers arrived in Kuwait as part of the Peninsula
Shield, a military operation ordered by the Gulf
Cooperation Council to protect the Persian Gulf
nation… … The Saudis make up more than 70
percent of the entire Peninsula Shield force in
Kuwait…”
Complete
report...
Saudi/OPEC/Capacity: OPEC Now
Above 24.5M B/D Pledge
"Saudi Arabia has told Western government
and oil officials that the kingdom's crude oil
output has reached its limit at around 9.2 million
barrels a day and won't rise further, even with a
war looming in Iraq..." Complete
report...
U.S. 'Decides Not to Blacklist
Kingdom Over Religions'
“The Bush administration has decided not to
blacklist Saudi Arabia over the issue of religious
freedom… …Colin Powell is expected to shortly
release a list of countries that the United States
says engage in 'systematic, ongoing and egregious'
violations of religious freedom…” Complete
report…
US troops 'pouring into Saudi
Arabia'
"...diplomats said that, despite its
grave misgivings, the kingdom has decided that if
the United States is determined to take military
action it will stand by its ally in the name of
friendship and self interest. They added that
the Saudi government believes a war will be shorter
and more successful if the Americans can operate
from Saudi facilities..." Complete
report...
Saudis Must Apply 2 Months
Ahead for US Visa: Embassy
”Saudis
planning to travel to the United States should apply
for non-immigrant visas two months in advance…
…The new measure comes as Washington, which has
been preparing to attack Iraq, stepped up security
measures for fear of retaliatory operations by
militants. The United States tightened visa
regulations for Saudis in the wake of the Sept. 11,
2001 attacks…” Complete
report…
Saudi Arabia Hands Over
Tanker Suspects
"Saudi Arabia has handed over to Yemen two men
suspected of involvement in last year's suicide
bombing of a French oil tanker that killed one crew
member..." Complete
report...
Saudi
Royals Stuck With Divorce Tab
"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia and King Fahd bin
Abdul Aziz must pay $216 million to settle a
lingering legal dispute over the decades-old split
of a colorful, high-living Saudi sheik and his
estranged wife, a judge ruled..."
Complete
report...
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