Saudi foreign minister in surprise visit on eve of Sharon talks

World Tribune ^ | 5/7/02

[truthandlife]

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal arrived in Washington on Monday in what Arab diplomatic sources termed a surprise visit. The sources said Prince Saud's mission was to ensure that President George Bush pressure visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to agree to a fast-track diplomatic process that would result in a Palestinian state.

But Sharon is also bringing to his meeting today with President Bush captured documents as purported evidence that the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry has paid millions of dollars to families of Palestinian suicide bombers and to the terrorist group Hamas.

"The Saudis wanted to cover this up," said Col. Miriam Eisin, an Israeli intelligence official who provided copies of the documents to reporters at the Israeli Embassy yesterday.

The Saudi government gave $135 million in the past 16 months to help the families of suicide bombers and fund other aspects of the anti-Israel uprising, she said.

The diplomatic sources said the Saudi foreign minister was sent to Washington to monitor the Bush-Sharon meetings, Middle East Newsline reported. They said Saudi Arabia wants Israel to quickly withdraw from all Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Prince Saud met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and discussed the Bush-Sharon meeting on Tuesday at the White House. After the meeting, Saud said an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian Authority areas is the first step required by Israel.

U.S. officials said Bush is expected to press Sharon to begin talks with the Palestinians for the establishment of an independent state before the resolution of the conflict with the Palestinians. For his part, Sharon said he is willing to discuss such a state if the Palestinians change their policy and leadership.

But Sharon's aides released a report that linked Saudi Arabia with Palestinian suicide-bombings, a move that disturbed administration officials.

"He [Bush] wants to continue to press the case about the importance of moving forward toward political settlement of the disputes," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "Security is vital; security is ongoing, security is an integral part of everything. Political solutions have to be a vital part of the mix."

[In Washington, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the Bush administration to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia. The commission said Saudi cooperation with the United States in the war against terrorism "does not grant them license to continue to abuse the rights of their own people."]

Diplomatic sources said Saudi Arabia is coordinating with Egypt in Riyad's drive to ensure U.S. support for the Palestinians. The sources said Riyad has urged President Hosni Mubarak to press PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to respond to the complaints by Bush that the Palestinians have failed to halt attacks against Israel.

On Tuesday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat reported that Mubarak relayed a letter to Arafat and expressed what was termed his grave concern over the divisions and disputes within the PA. The newspaper said Mubarak demanded that Arafat draft a clear policy for the future and choose between continued war against Israel or the resumption of the peace process.

Another London-based daily, Al Quds Al Arabi, said Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah has pressed the Palestinians to end suicide attacks against Israel.

The newspaper said on Tuesday that Abdullah telephoned leaders of the Islamic opposition group Hamas, which has received tens of millions of dollars from Riyad.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Who are you going to believe? The Saudis? I think not.

A couple of nights ago I was watching ESPN 1 or 2(hockey, I think) and a brief graphic commercial shows up "Saudis -- Allies for Peace." Their sad PR campaign on late TV -- it made me want to hurl.

[wattsmag2]

The Saudis sent damagage control? What's he bringing, some 20 dollar a barrel oil futures?

[tracer]

Whut meens zis woard, "protocol?"

[MarkWar]

>Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal arrived in Washington on Monday in what Arab diplomatic sources termed a surprise visit.

Gee, while Prince Saud Al Faisal is here, I wonder if he'd mind checking my mail for me? It's no big deal, the mail box is down there at the end of that access road, behind that stand of trees...

Mark W.

[elbucko]

The US should recall the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, quitely. Then, after appropriate time has passed, surface a Trident submarine off the coast of Saudi Arabia, near the refineries of Dhahran, and allow these Arab b*st*ds to contemplate paradise.

[bybybill]

Some of the post on this site may make me rethink my position on abortion...The more the Saudis are involved in the peace process, the sooner Israel will be at peace. For years they sat on their hands and did nothing. Now they are pushing the Palestinians to the table. Yea, I know they gave $$ to all the Palestinian families that lost members and I know that not every Saudi wants peace, but it is far better that they are involving themselves for a change publicly.Also, remember when GWB choose his foriegn policy team, most of us realized that that group was pretty good. Well, they didn`t all swallow a stupid pill [that was RUSH], give them some slack and I think you`ll be pleasantly suprised.

[PsyOp]

Whoops! They did it again! 15 dead and several dozen injured. Lets see that sand grubbing saudi splain this one.

[motorhead]

Can 1000 corrupt double-dealing arab princes possibly be right? When playing poker with crooks, have big gun cocked and handy!

[bert]

The article has it bassackwards... The Palis know what's up and must stop it at any cost.

[bert]

The article has it bassackwards...

Sharon came to learn from the principles the American/Saudi plan.

The Palis know what's up and must stop it at any cost.

[dalebert]

I would love to hear Bush/Powell private conversations after these meetings.

[sistergoldenhair]

Press conference/bombing ping.

[GISax]

I say a suprise visit from an ICBM special delivery to Mecca is in order.

--Ear Assault!

[bybybill]

Look at how we are really winning in Afganistan, [ask the Russians how easy that is], we are smashing the bad guys, we have changed the government, we have feed the people, millions of Afgans are coming home, and we will most likly not have to worry about trouble from them again. AND THE WORLD KNOWS THAT TERRORISM AGAINST AMERICA WONT WORK Now, look at how Sharon handled his war. After the terrorist attacks in Israel, Sharon sent the IDF bulldozers into the West Bank after Palestinians, men, women, kids, and terrorists. They all were held captive, guilty and innocent, cut off from services while many homes were ransacked. Most of the world is angry and think Sharon is, at best, a bully. When the IDF withdraws, the bastard bombers are back and Israelis still have no peace. Israel will never know peace until she stops making people believe they have no alternative to wearing bombs, as sick as that is.If Israel would define its border, acknowledge Palestine, and then try to work with the rest of the world to help make Palestine their Canada, with a generation they might know peace.They might as try cause I`m sorry to report you can`t kill them all.

[breakem]

He has to hury home to get a check to the family of today's bomber.

[wattsmag2]

No doubt. Hope he gets a paper cut complete with flesh-eating staph.

[bybybill]

WOW ,took you SEVEN DAYS to think up a responds to my post, thats a record for me. No,I`m not a "jew hater"[ why is that the first place you guys always go] and I feel very strongly that Israel has the right to peace but , the Palestinians do to. I guess in your twisted, dark little world that isn`t possible, but its my hope that it does. My problem with all of you "just kill`em guys" is that you never see anything on the other side and you refuse to look at the consquences of events.