Saudi Crown Prince Opposes Intervention, Says Palestinians Alone Can Choose Their Leader

Associated Press ^ | 7/1/02 | Amir Zia, Associated Press Reporter

[browardchad]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - As the United States pushes for Yasser Arafat's ouster, Saudi Arabia rejected any meddling in Arab affairs, saying only the Palestinians can choose their leader.

Saudi's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah, was quoted by officials as saying that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom "rejects any intervention by any side in Arab internal affairs, and on top of it the affairs of the Palestinian people, who alone have the right to choose their leadership."

Abdullah's comments were passed on by officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, following his meeting with Spanish Defense Minister Federico Trillo in the Red Sea city of Jiddah.

His remarks come as top U.S. officials intensify public calls for the removal of the Palestinian leader, who the White House says has done little to end 21 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence and militant attacks against Israelis.

A week ago, President Bush said Palestinian Authority reform, including a new leadership, must occur before a Palestinian provisional state can be formed.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Colin Powell said if the Palestinians "don't bring in new leaders, then we shouldn't expect new approaches." Powell also said that Washington plans to work "to help other Palestinian leaders to rise up and to begin transformation within the Palestinian community."

In an interview Friday with The Associated Press, Powell said Arab leaders "universally recognized" Bush's call for Arafat's ouster.

Abdullah's comments come a day after Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Egypt stood firmly behind Arafat as the "democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people."

Moderate Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have said the Palestinians alone should choose their leader. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said U.S. calls to overhaul the Palestinian leadership did not mean Arafat had to go.

Spanish officials accompanying Trillo said Spain wanted to strengthen military cooperation and boost arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah has proposed his own Mideast peace initiative, which won an Arab summit's endorsement in March, calling on Israel to withdraw from Arab lands occupied during the 1967 Mideast war in return for normal relations with Arab states.

On Monday, Mubarak urged Bush to make clear how he plans to implement his vision for Mideast peace.

Speaking to reporters in Cairo after a foreign policy session with his senior advisers, Mubarak also said peace would be hard to obtain unless Israel halts its incursions into Palestinian cities.

"I would wish that the administration move to explain what is ambiguous in (Bush's) statement to avoid interpretations that may contradict or undermine it," Mubarak said. "There must be a committee, or a step after President Bush's statement that clarifies how to put it in action."

Mubarak also said Israel must stop its incursions into Palestinian territories.

"What we also demand is that raids, strikes, destruction and humiliation should be stopped, otherwise no mechanism can work," Mubarak said.

AP-ES-07-01-02 1148EDT

[KineticKitty]

Of course they can, Look at how well the Palistinians have done in choosing their own leaders so far. < /sarcasm>

[Catspaw]

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.

[BrooklynGOP]

...affairs of the Palestinian people, who alone have the right to choose their leadership."

The crown prince is on the right track. Now how about letting Saudis choose their leadership?

[bert]

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.


Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.

Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.


Of course the Palies can pick their own leader. We just don't have to send the Palies any more money or talk to them.



Pay attention to catspaw....he is correct

[Catspaw]

psst, bert--make that a "she." But I'm thinking of marketing some t-shirts with that slogan on it :-))

[Howlin]

Oh, never mind about that........LOL.

[TADSLOS]

The Saudis use the Palestinians as convenient fodder against Israel. They don't want them any more than the Israelis do, probably even less so. State sponsored terror and hypocrosy makes for a strange combination that fit the arab culture to a tee.

[swarthyguy]

Weren't these hypocrites and all their sycophants the same ones who wanted the US to get involved in the first place.
Sheesh, the sheer gall of them.

[rmlew]

Let the subjects of Arabia choose their own head of state.

[LA-Lawyer]

Moderate Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia...

Egypt-> Military Dictatorship

Jordan-> Monarchy

Saudi Arabia -> Oligarchy of self-appointed "princes"

And these guys have the temerity to lecture us on democracy? [BTW, the only democracy existing in the entire middle east is, of course, Israel]

I would like to see just ONCE the AP, AFP, Reuters, et al, recite the form of government "chosen" in these "moderate" arab states as routinely as they call any right of communism American politician a "right-winger".

[Jay W]

For some reason I misread that headline as "Saudi Clown Prince...."

[Catspaw]

Yasser isn't taking our shunning very well:

 

20:31 Jul-01-02, 21 Tammuz 5762

Fatah Vows to Strike US and Israeli Targets

(IsraelNN.com) A flyer released by Fatah vowed to strike out against US and Israeli targets everywhere" is response to the campaign against Yasser Arafat.

[truth_session]

Actually I agree with the Prince. Let Palestine continue to choose their terrorist leaders so the world can continue to see their true colors. Let the Palestinians be held responsible for their actions and blow them the hell away when they keep on killing Jewish grandmothers and promoting terrorism and hatred against America.

Why would the Bush administration want to be held responsible for the actions of a terrorist nation?

[truth_session]

"Abdullah's comments come a day after Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Egypt stood firmly behind Arafat as the "democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people.""

That's right. Both of these nations are terrorist nations and both know it and are proud of it. Let them "live" with their decisions and give them their just rewards.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

I seem to remember hearing the President say he was implimenting stopping aid payments to the Palistinian people if they do not choose new leadership. Not Maybe.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

The real problem within the Palistinian govt is picking a new leader. They are not too happy with the dimensa patient they now have, but the bad guys backing him can use him to continue thier reign of terror. If a real leader can be found then I think the Palistinian people would be glad to have new leadership.

I read today that 4000 Palistinians held a protest at Arafat's compound in Ramallah protesting the economic condition under which they live. Doesn't sound like a group of happy campers to me.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

The real problem within the Palistinian govt is picking a new leader. They are not too happy with the dimensa patient they now have, but the bad guys backing him can use him to continue thier reign of terror. If a real leader can be found then I think the Palistinian people would be glad to have new leadership.

I read today that 4000 Palistinians held a protest at Arafat's compound in Ramallah protesting the economic condition under which they live. Doesn't sound like a group of happy campers to me.

[desertcry]

I agree with the crown prince, the USA should not intervene with, or for the palestinians. This of course means, the USA should stop all financial support, and all forms of aid for the palestinians, and stop restraining Israel in it's retaliations for the murder of it's innocent citizens. Let all chips lay where they fall.

[self_evident]

You posted exactly what I was going to post. You can add:

Syria: Miltary Dictatorship

Iran: Islamic Theocracy

Pakistan: Miltary Dictatorship

Yet they are all sidling up to the microphones saying how great Palistinian democracy is.