Saudis tell Bush to moderate Israel support or face "Grave Consequences"!

The Muslim News ^ | 25-04-2002 | By Randall Mikkelsen

[vannrox]

Saudis tell Bush to moderate Israel support

25-04-2002

By Randall Mikkelsen

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah have met amid Saudi warnings that Bush must moderate U.S. support for Israel or risk "grave consequences."

The two leaders met for nearly five hours on Thursday at Bush's ranch as world oil prices jumped on reports -- later denied by the Saudis -- that frustration over perceived U.S. favouritism toward Israel could drive Saudi Arabia to consider supporting an Iraqi suspension of oil exports.

The U.S. side declined to immediately characterise the talks, but a Saudi foreign policy adviser told reporters that Abdullah had come with a warning that U.S. relations with the Arab world would be endangered unless Washington persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to end the occupation of Palestinian areas.

"He (Abdullah) doesn't mince his words, like the president. ... If the U.S. doesn't do more to reduce the violence, there will be grave consequences for the U.S. and its interests," adviser Adel al-Jubeir said.

The New York Times on Thursday quoted a source close to Abdullah as saying there was talk within the Saudi royal family of using the "oil weapon" against the United States.

But Saudi officials said the country was not considering supporting an Iraqi suspension of oil exports to the United States and that it was committed to maintaining a supply-demand equilibrium and "fair" prices.

"Oil is not a weapon. Oil is not a tank. You cannot fire oil," al-Jubeir told reporters.

BEARS CONCERNS OF ANGRY ARAB PUBLIC

Bush met Abdullah at the door to his ranch house wearing a suit and silver, Western style belt buckle. Abdullah wore a traditional gold-trimmed, brown robe. After two hours of formal talks -- an hour longer than scheduled -- the two broke for a tour of the sprawling ranch.

Abdullah, who has assumed day-to-day control of the Saudi government because of King Fahd's illness, is the author of a Middle East peace plan accepted at a recent Arab summit. As an increasingly influential voice in the region, he came to the meeting bearing the concerns of Arab nations whose citizens are outraged at the Israeli crackdown on Palestinian areas.

Underscoring the importance of the meeting, Vice President Dick Cheney, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice all took part. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met Abdullah on Wednesday.

Arab anger toward the United States has risen along with perceptions Washington is unabashedly pro-Israel.

Many Arabs were looking for the Saudi crown prince to press Bush for Israeli agreement to end its occupation of Palestinian territory, including the siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound, and accept a Palestinian state.

"If he (Sharon) is left to his own devices, he will drag the region over a cliff," al-Jubeir said.

Bush, on the other hand, wants Abdullah and other Arab leaders to refrain from inciting anti-Israeli violence, and to urge Arafat to make peace. He was expected to raise concerns about Saudi support for the Palestinian uprising.

Bush's conservative Republican base has strongly backed Israel, which also has a significant lobby in Congress and long-term Democratic support. Opinion polls show most Americans sympathise with the Jewish state.

Republican senators debating new energy legislation seized on the New York Times report to accuse Saudi Arabia of arrogance and "blackmail" for any suggestion of a link between oil supplies and foreign policy.

"We're looking at a situation in the Mideast today where clearly oil is a weapon," said Republican U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski, an advocate of opening an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling.

'NEITHER SIDE CAN MAKE THAT PLEDGE'

The main issue at the summit, Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Youssef Ibrahim said, was: "Can Bush actually come out and say, 'We pledge to deliver Israel, if you pledge to deliver the Arab world'? I think neither side can make that pledge."

A starting point was Abdullah's proposal for normalised Arab relations with Israel in exchange for the return of land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Bush has sought to build on the plan which he views as a "new portal" to peace.

But Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said on Wednesday no peace talks could be held until Israel pulled out of Palestinian areas and ended Arafat's isolation.

The original U.S. aim for the meeting, to build support for Washington's campaign to unseat Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, has been overshadowed. But it would nonetheless be discussed, as would trade and economic issues, a senior U.S. official said.

U.S.-Saudi relations were strained by the September 11 attacks. The United States says 15 of the 19 men suspected of carrying out the hijackings were Saudis.

Saudi Arabia has been a longtime U.S. ally, allowing the United States to use its bases for attacks on Iraq during the Gulf War and for air patrols since then.

Osama bin Laden, a Saudi-born exile blamed by the United States for the Sept. 11 attacks, has said closing the bases was a priority in his campaign to drive the United States from the region.

The Saudi Embassy has begun a television ad campaign in the United States promoting Saudi-U.S. ties and urging Americans to "Please keep your eyes, ears and especially your minds open."

[vannrox]

"...Osama bin Laden, a Saudi-born exile blamed by the United States for the Sept. 11 attacks, has said closing the bases was a priority in his campaign to drive the United States from the region..."

[Wonder Warthog]

"Saudis tell Bush to moderate Israel support or face "Grave Consequences"!"

Gee, what will the Saudi's do--give MORE money to Islamic extremists?? Provide MORE pilots to drive airplanes into US buildings??

Saudi Arabia is as big an enemy of the west as Iraq--they are just wilier about it. When it is to their maximum advantage, they WILL stab the U.S. in the back.

[TLBSHOW]

The Saudi Embassy has begun a television ad campaign in the United States promoting Saudi-U.S. ties and urging Americans to "Please keep your eyes, ears and especially your minds open."

I do keep my mind open and Islam is a False Religion.

[looney tune]

The Saudi's are weasels. They cannot be trusted.

[dighton]

ANGRY ARAB PUBLIC

Yawn .... full of "rage" and whatnot all year round.

[Texbob]

If Bush had any balls he would have repeated his promise to the Saudi's, any nation that harbors terrorist or makes finicial support to terrorist will be treated like terrorist and ridded from the world. It is the Saudis that are going to face grave consequences. They have been as big supporters of terrorist as Iraq and we can take them down a lot easier than taking down Iraq. But under Bush this will not happen. He lost his war on terrorist when he started ordering Israel to stop doing what Bush was doing in Afganistan. He did not have the staying power to win the war.

[CreekerFreeper]

Bush to Saudis: NUTS!

[okie01]

"He (Abdullah) doesn't mince his words, like the president. ... If the U.S. doesn't do more to reduce the violence, there will be grave consequences for the U.S. and its interests," [foreign policy] adviser Adel al-Jubeir said.

This is not the kind of public statement that normally comes from a trained diplomat, nor wins friends and influences American presidents. Thus, I wonder:

1. What role does al-Jubeir really play in Saudi affairs?

2. How long will he remain in that role?

Inasmuch as it cannot bear any relationship to what Abdullah really said, and how he said it, al-Jubeir is obviously aiming his comments at a Middle East audience. Which also leaves me to wonder what it is that Abdullah really said. Because, odds are, it didn't resemble this statement...

[abclily]

What's the angry Arab public going to do? Throw sand at us?

[Windy-Dave]

Common sense is an un-common virtue! Where are the rest who think like you do? I could get to like this person!

[vannrox]

Bush is just biding his time. He is trying to train and build up our military after a decade of pillaging by the Clinton-Gore-Reno dictatorship. For one thing, he has to manufacture about 10,000 cruse missiles...

[SJackson]

Thanks for your post. Sometimes common sense is a rare commodity.

[Edward Watson]

Oooohh, do those in the Middle East seriously think they can blackmail the United States??? This reminds me of Blazing Saddles, where the new black sheriff puts a gun to his own head and warns "Don't come any closer or the [black man] gets it!!!"

Frankly, get it over and done with - 25,000 Marines are sufficient to hold the oil fields and terminals against any combination of Arab armies until reinforced several months later.

LOL! Why doesn't President Bush just play hardball and solve the problem???

[anapikoros]

The Saudis are only using the Israel-Arab confrontation as a deflection from the real issue which for them is keeping their Royal a$$es in power.

Their gambit ATM is that they cannot support Bush on Iraq because of US support for Israel. Eliminate that excuse and they will come up with another just as feeble.

Their main concern is that resolving the Iraq problem will install a US compliant regime there which will be a strong counter to the Saud oil influence - the reason the Saudis lobbied Bush senior not to finish off Saddam H. last time around.

[crystalk]

Arab american maybe, but not a Muslim american, you have too direct a reasoning process to be that.

[desertcry]

If we want to take the dagger away from the saudis, we must develop ANWAR. But ANWAR is forbidden by the democrats. Well, November is coming we have an opportunity to give the Republicans the Majority in the Senate, what say you we do it!!