Saudis tell Bush: take a breather, give UN another try

Sydney Morning Herald ^ | March 24, 2003

[sarcasm]

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal, has urged the United States to "have a breather" in its invasion of Iraq and give the United Nations another chance to disarm the country peacefully.

"Stop the war, let's sit down, let's have a breather after what we have seen of the destruction," Prince Saud told Western journalists in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

The 61-year-old prince also called on Saddam Hussein to "start to think of the sacrifices he can make for his country", implying that the Iraqi leader should seek exile rather than see his country destroyed.

While Saudi Arabia has not offered sanctuary to Saddam, Prince Saud said the Iraqi leader and his family would be allowed safe passage through the kingdom to reach a third country. Neighbouring Bahrain has offered to shelter Saddam. Saudi Arabia has been a vocal critic of Washington's war plans since they were first discussed a year ago.

Like many countries in the region, it fears the conflict could destabilise its own society, which is struggling with a volatile mix of high unemployment and religious extremism among its youth.

Saudi Arabia's position is particularly sensitive because the US Air Force commander in charge of the bombing campaign in Iraq is stationed at a Saudi Air Force base just south of the capital - a fact not discussed by the local press or widely known to Saudi citizens.

Prince Saud condemned the invasion's aim of destroying the Iraqi Government as "outside of the framework of international legality", and warned that rebuilding what has been destroyed will be a dangerous, difficult task.

"Bringing it back again is going to be a job I don't envy those who are going to be handed it," he said.

He said he was worried about talk of a military occupation government, and that he doubted the ability of US and British officials to finesse the web of tribal and ethnic relationships that any government in Iraq must handle to maintain peace.

"We don't think that is advisable at all," the prince said. "The government we would like to see in Iraq after the war is the government that is formed by the Iraqi people."

He called on the UN Security Council to take up the Iraq issue again without delay, both to try and stop the fighting and to decide how to manage Iraq after the conflict.

"It just seems to me it will be a very tough situation to handle unless the United Nations comes to the fore in this and gets whoever is there from the present government to co-operate with them for the process of what they call democratisation," he said.

The Saudi Government has said it will not send troops to Iraq, but the prince said it would consider contributing peacekeeping forces if asked by the United Nations and Iraq.

Prince Saud also repeated his Government's long-standing plea for the US to help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, "which has been at the heart of the problems and the troubles in the region".

"If there is stability, if there is peace in the Middle East, that is the way that will bring about a democratisation and an opening of society," the prince said, "not through war."

[GulfWar1Vet]

And this is from the country who had 19 terrorist hijackers from 9-11?

Yea, right.

You and the U.N. are both irrelevant.

[EternalVigilance]

"We don't think that is advisable at all," the prince said. "The government we would like to see in Iraq after the war is the government that is formed by the Iraqi people."

He might want to look a little closer to home.

[MinuteGal]

Oh, sure. "Stop the war, I want to get off".

Will the Saudis put up all our military people at the Riyadh Hilton while the UN and Hansel Blix start playing hide-and-seek again?

Leni

[dighton]

"Local Stoner Offers Military Advice"

[Maceman]

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal, has urged the United States to "have a breather" in its invasion of Iraq

No wonder Israel finds it so easy to kick Arab butt everytine there's a military confrontation. Like the Israeli's say: "If you have to have enemies, at leat be thankful they're Arabs."

[AF68]

Isn't Prince Saud al Faisal the same scum that spat on our 9-11 dead and Rudy threw his 10 million dollar check back in his face?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"start to think of the sacrifices he can make for his country",

As if the animal gives a damn about "his" country.

[Noumenon]

I'd tell these camel-sodomizing Saudis that, given their long-time funding and support for death-worshipping Wahabbism and terrorism, they're next.

[shezza]

As if!

[Boundless]

> Prince Saud al Faisal, has urged the United States
> to "have a breather" in its invasion of Iraq and give the
> United Nations another chance to disarm the country
> peacefully.

Expect this nonsense to grow more strident as the fall of
Baghdad draws near.

We haven't seen anything yet from the customers, suppliers,
co-conspirators, fellow travelers, and blackmailees of the
Hussein regime.

There are a LOT of people who have a lot to lose if Iraq
is liberated, and their reasons will shortly be discovered
if not already obvious. Their only hope is to arrest the war.

[blackbart.223]

"While Saudi Arabia has not offered sanctuary to Saddam, Prince Saud said the Iraqi leader and his family would be allowed safe passage through the kingdom to reach a third country. Neighbouring Bahrain has offered to shelter Saddam."

It's way too late for that.

The only outcome for Saddam and his supporters is a Nuremburg type trial followed by a swift execution.

[ToTheStars]

give the United Nations another chance to disarm the country peacefully.

Hahahaha! Is this guy for real??? Oh sure, let's all sit down and have tea and biscuits while we allow the UN to screw things up even worse than before...NOT!

Sorry, but the USA is rolling...and we ain't gonna stop. The murdered souls from 9-11 demand no less of us.

[vigilante2]

I thought saddam was dead!

[farmer18th]

Saudi Arabia's position is particularly sensitive because the US Air Force commander in charge of the bombing campaign in Iraq is stationed at a Saudi Air Force base just south of the capital ...

Here's my advice: calmly thank the Prince for his advice, but tell him, without blinking, that if he brings up this sort of idiocy again, Saudi Arabia will be the next target.

[Pafreedom]

In German
Essen Sie Scheisse und Sterben Sie

French

Mangez la merde et mourez

In Russian
????? Don't have a cyrillic keyboard.

[Maigrey]

Inspectors are not there to disarm them. The 300,000+ troops that are there are there to disarm him and the vermin that infest the region. I guess this is too difficult to understand for some people.

[pgyanke]

I, for one, am all for Saddam's exile...





...in Hell.

[GirlShortstop]

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal, has urged the United States to "have a breather"

Oh, if only given the opportunity, I'd tell Faisal

$hit in one hand, wish in the other... see which one fills up first!

</rant off>

[Ronin]

This would be the worst mistake the President could make. Regardless of the cost -- and as yesterday showed, there will be a cost -- there is too much at stake now for anything less than total victory.

I think the President knows that.