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Prince
Turki Al-Faisal presented his diplomatic
credentials to U.S. President George
W. Bush today in Washington, DC, marking his acceptance as
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia to the United States of America. Prince Turki, the
last son of King Faisal, was educated at Georgetown University,
Class of 1968 and went on to serve Saudi Arabia as the Director
General of the General Intelligence Directorate from 1977 through
2001. He most recently completed a posting as Saudi Arabia's
Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2003-2005 before replacing Prince
Bandar bin Sultan as the Kingdom's top diplomat in the United
States. Prince Bandar was appointed Secretary-General of the
National Security Council on October 16, 2005.
Yesterday Prince Turki delivered a wide-ranging
speech at the US Army War
College in Pennsylvania. He discussed the issues confronting
the United States and Saudi Arabia including the situation in
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel and Palestine. He also spoke about
the US-Saudi partnership in the war on terror and the recently
inaugurated Saudi-US
Dialogue, a byproduct of the April
2005 Bush-Abdullah Summit. We are pleased to present Prince
Turki's remarks at the Army War College here for your
consideration.
Community and Cooperation
Prince Turki Al-Faisal
US Army War College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
December 1, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen: This is my first official
speech as Ambassador. So it is a privilege to deliver it to such a
distinguished audience.
I am reading a book called 1776,
in which Gen. George Washington distinguishes himself by avoiding
as much bloodshed as possible. Other distinguished military
leaders throughout history have been the primary peacemakers that
brought seemingly intractable military conflict to peaceful
resolution. Eisenhower in Europe, MacArthur in Japan, Sadat in
Egypt, Rabin in Israel, DeGaulle in Algeria.
This College will produce the future
peacemakers.
The War
College is a prestigious institution, and Saudi Arabia has had
the privilege of having many of its citizens attend.
As an elite institution, the War College has a
rich heritage of integrity, excellence, and outstanding service.
Most importantly, though, Carlisle Barracks has a heritage of
fostering community. As we face new challenges – which can only
be addressed through international cooperation – having a
community is a necessity. We must know who we can rely on and who
we can trust.
This is because the battles we fight today have
no clear front lines. The strife and conflict that exist
throughout the world overlap national borders and ethnic
divisions, and even cross oceans. As we all know too well, in an
increasingly smaller world the stability or security of a nation
far away can impact us all significantly at home.
As two nations that are of critical importance
to global issues today, the United States and Saudi Arabia share a
responsibility to promote understanding where none exists, broker
peace where it has been seldom seen, and strengthen our own common
bonds of friendship and cooperation.
I predicate this notion on the fact that each
of our respective countries enjoys a unique position of influence
that is complementary to that of the other, in spite of their
admittedly disproportionate capabilities.
The United States is the only superpower in the
world today, and this imposes responsibilities and obligations
upon it. But there is also a moral dimension to being the world’s
sole superpower: respect for law and compassion for the oppressed.
Saudi Arabia also has a unique position in the
world. The Kingdom is the birthplace of Islam, one of the world’s
three monotheistic religions, and the site of the Two Holy
Mosques, where tens of millions of Muslims come from all over the
world for spiritual rejuvenation and fulfillment of their
religious duty. Five times a day, more than one billion Muslims
turn in the direction of Makkah in prayer. Accordingly, Saudi
Arabia shoulders a responsibility of influence and moral
leadership.
The responsibilities of our nations give us
something in common. Despite the differences of our cultures, we
have always shared the same basic belief in faith, family and the
importance of honest and open communication. And these common
attributes have served us well in tackling global challenges
throughout the world during the last 60 years.
In 1953, the first US
Military Training Mission arrived in the Kingdom to supervise
military assistance and training activities. A few years later,
Dhahran Airbase hosted American forces as part of the containment
of the former Soviet Union. From this initial interaction grew a
strategic relationship to ensure global security and stability –
a relationship that has included a series of cooperative efforts
to address political and military issues in the Middle East, as
well as in Africa and South America.
Saudi Arabia stood with the US during the 1950s
and 1960s when radicalism in the Arab World threatened to lead a
socialist revolution throughout the region.
When the British withdrew from the Gulf in
1970, Saudi Arabia became one of the “twin pillars” of Gulf
security. When the other “twin pillar” – Iran under the Shah
– became the leading price hawk in OPEC and sought to undermine
the primacy of the dollar in world trade, Saudi Arabia steadily
increased production to keep oil prices in check, and insisted
that oil be priced only in dollars.
During the Vietnam conflict, Saudi Arabia
consistently supplied as much oil as needed to US military forces
– even during the 1973 oil embargo. When the US withdrew from
Vietnam, Saudi Arabia stepped in quietly to provide aid to
anti-Communist movements in countries that were falling rapidly
into the pro-Soviet sphere: Zaire, Somalia, Angola, and Nicaragua.
Most importantly, we both supported the Mujahideen in Afghanistan
during 1980s, contributing to the end of the Cold War.
Within one week of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
in 1990, Saudi Arabia began hosting a coalition of international
forces, including over 500,000 US troops and paid for all their
in-country support, including free fuel for all military
operations. Of all countries in the world, we made the largest
direct financial contributions to the effort to liberate Kuwait.
Our troops, ladies and gentlemen, fought
shoulder to shoulder with your troops to liberate Kuwait. Our air
force, despite its size, made the second largest number of sorties
after the US Air Force. With pride, I tell you, our boys had the
highest ratio of kills per number of aircrafts.
Throughout the entire post-Gulf War period,
Saudi Arabia supported the UN-sanctioned no-fly zones over Iraq by
hosting American and coalition planes at Saudi bases.
Then in 2002, when the US fought its successful
war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, air operations were
headquartered at the Prince Sultan Airbase outside of Riyadh.
And, although we were not in favor of the
invasion of Iraq in 2003, Saudi Arabia has made every effort to
ensure that the US succeeds in its campaign with the greatest
efficiency and the least loss of life.
After Saddam’s government was overthrown and
major military operations in Iraq ended, Saudi Arabia further
provided a comprehensive aid package, delivered convoys of
humanitarian supplies, and sent a large, fully staffed field
hospital to Baghdad to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi
people. Saudi Arabia remains fully committed to efforts to foster
a stable, peaceful and united Iraq.
A month ago, at the Kingdom’s initiative, a
meeting was convened in Jeddah to seek ways to bring all Iraqi
factions together: Shia, Sunni, and Kurd. The Secretary-General of
the Arab
League was tasked at the meeting to consult with our Iraqi
brethren about convening all Iraqi factions in Egypt to discuss
national reconciliation – a move supported by both the United
Nations and the Bush Administration. The meeting was held, and
another one will be held after the next Iraqi elections with the
objective to reach an agreement on a common future in which Iraq’s
unity and territorial integrity is preserved, and in which every
Iraqi faction is treated justly. And in the last few days, we have
worked to defuse a potentially dangerous situation in Syria by
making sure that Syrian officials can be questioned by Mr. Detlev
Mehlis, the UN investigator in the Hariri case.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Between the Tigris and
the Euphrates Rivers, near where Baghdad now stands, the origins
of civilization emerged. It spread throughout the Fertile
Crescent, from the Arabian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea and
beyond. Now we are fighting to protect civilization in its
birthplace in the Middle East. This fight is not just for the
people of Iraq, or the people of the Middle East, but for people
all over the world. We are a global community and our neighbors’
peace, stability, and prosperity is as important as our own.
As strategic partners, the US and Saudi Arabia
have long understood this fact. And today, we are trying to
enhance the level of strategic cooperation we have had during the
last 60 years.
As the American military leader, former
president, and alumnus of the War College, General Dwight D.
Eisenhower stated: “Though force can protect in emergency, only
justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead
men to the dawn of eternal peace.”
As such, we face some clear challenges. We face
the challenge of finding a just and permanent settlement to the
Arab-Israeli conflict, which has remained an open wound for more
than 50 years.
Saudi Arabia has clearly expressed its interest
in reaching a peaceful end to this conflict, based on the
resolutions of international legitimacy and the principle of land
for peace. The Arab Summit in 2002 adopted the peace initiative
put forth by then Crown Prince, now King Abdullah for
resolving the Arab-Israeli dispute.
The initiative is straightforward: In exchange
for Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967,
including Jerusalem, and the establishment of a Palestinian state,
all Arab countries would sign peace agreements with Israel, and
the Arab-Israeli conflict would formally end. Normal relations
between Israel and all the Arab countries would ensue.
Until the Palestinians finally have their own
homeland, where they can live in peace, this conflict will remain
not just a tragedy but provide terrorists with an excuse for their
terrible actions. If American audiences could see what millions of
Arabs see nightly on their television screens, they would
understand the overwhelming emotional impact this has on the
ordinary man and woman in the Middle East.
We must do everything we can to support these
two peoples as they struggle to find a peaceful resolution. The
US, however, is the only country that can play a vital role in
this endeavor. President
Bush’s commitment to a two-state solution and his declared
desire to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians during
his term in office is important and welcome.
I commend Secretary Rice for securing an
agreement for the Palestinian people to move safely and unhindered
from the Gaza Strip, but this is just the first step. The US must
continue to support the process of disengagement from Gaza and the
West Bank, and Saudi Arabia will continue to lend its support as
well.
We must also work together to support the
people of Afghanistan as they try to build a stable nation.
Afghanistan has suffered greatly. Its history has been marred by
invading forces, civil war, and cruel dictatorship. The country
was a boiling pot of discontent which nurtured the birth of
Al-Qaeda and became its first training ground.
Today, there is hope for Afghanistan. The
Afghan people have fought hard against their aggressors and are
now working to ensure a lasting peace. As we witness the first
signs of positive development, we must support the emergence of a
national government and programs to disarm illegal groups.
The effort we spend to help others – the
Iraqis, the Palestinians and Israelis, and the Afghans –
however, should be coupled with efforts spent to improve our own
relations. We are fortunate our leadership has been taking steps
in this direction.
Today, cooperation between the US and Saudi
Arabia is greater than ever and has culminated in the
establishment of a new way for our countries to work together and
to ensure our interests are aligned: the Saudi/US
Strategic Dialogue.
The Dialogue was conceived by King
Abdullah and President Bush when they met in April as a way to
reintroduce cooperation between our countries – the type of
cooperation we have known from the day President Franklin
Roosevelt first met with the founder of the modern Saudi state
King Abdulaziz back in 1945. The Dialogue is intended to
institutionalize relations and deepen coordination on strategic
and political issues.
The Saudi Foreign Minister and US Secretary of
State have already met to commence the first session. The
Strategic Dialogue will meet every six months, alternating between
the Kingdom and the US. Senior officials from a number of
departments and ministries from both countries will participate.
Six initial working groups have been created: Energy; Economic and
Financial Affairs; Consular Affairs; Partnership, Education and
Human Development in the US and Saudi Arabia; Military Affairs;
and Counterterrorism.
The Strategic Dialogue helps us in many ways,
including keeping our countries at the forefront of combating our
most common threat: terrorism. Terrorism, ladies and gentlemen, is
unacceptable under any circumstance. The taking of innocent lives
is condemned by all the revealed religions, as well as by all
universal values.
Saudi Arabia currently operates two joint task
forces with the US to combat terrorism and terrorism financing.
These task forces have been effective in achieving their missions,
and have become a model for how nations can work together to
defeat this evil.
Our nations are clear targets of the terrorist
groups, including Al-Qaeda, which seek to disrupt our longstanding
cooperation. We have suffered together as a result: in 1995, at
the Saudi National Guard Training Center in Riyadh; in 1996, at
the Khobar Towers; in 2001 the attacks of September 11; and in the
last three years, the Kingdom has experienced more than ten
attacks, resulting in hundreds of innocent civilian deaths and
more than 90 of our brave security forces have died in the line of
duty.
These attacks that have shaken our communities
– from the thousands of Americans who live and work in the
Kingdom to the thousands of Saudis who live and work in the US –
but they have not shaken our resolve.
Some people believe that the war against
Al-Qaeda is a war between East and West; between Christianity and
Islam. Some see it as a clash of civilizations. But I do not
subscribe to these theories. We are not engaged in a clash of
civilizations. We are engaged in a war for civilization.
Al-Qaeda opposes us because we are a nation
trying to move forward, to modernize and become a part of the
world economy. Saudi Arabia is a threat to Al-Qaeda because we are
routing out the extremist philosophy they espouse, that feeds
their deviant and amoral mentality. To win the war against
terrorism, we must win the war of ideas.
The Saudi government has looked within its
society and recognized where improvement is needed. The Kingdom is
undertaking a comprehensive revision of its education system and
updating its textbooks. The need for this program derives not only
from the necessity to prepare our citizens for life and work in a
modern, global economy, but also from the need to prevent our
children from being influenced by extremism and intolerance.
Saudi religious leaders too have been
consistently condemning Al-Qaeda’s actions and beliefs. It is
proving to be the body most qualified to delegitimize Al-Qaeda’s
twisted interpretation of Islam. Shaikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-AsShaikh,
the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Council of
Senior Ulema, recently stated:
“Killing and terrorizing innocent people and
the destruction of property are not condoned by Islam. Attributing
all these horrific incidents to Islam is unjust. Muslims should
tell the truth and unveil falseness, and inform all people that
Islam is a religion of righteousness, betterment and progress.”
Ladies and Gentlemen: Long before the US and
the Kingdom had a strategic relationship there were common
friendships and business relations between our countries.
Trade has always been a key part of our
relationship, and the US still stands today as the Kingdom’s
largest trading partner. Saudi Arabia, of course, is looking to
expand and strengthen its interests, and with recent accession
to the World Trade Organization, we will be able to
participate more fully in the global economy. This is an important
component of creating more jobs for Saudi youth and diversifying
our economy away from oil. The United States’ support has been
invaluable and much appreciated.
Oil, obviously, has been and will continue to
be a very important aspect of Saudi/US relations. In fact,
Americans were the ones who helped us discover our oil. Being a
desert kingdom, water has always been a most critical, but elusive
resource. So, 76 years ago, King Abdulaziz asked the American
businessman Charles Crane to help explore for water. Crane sent a
geologist who traveled all over the Kingdom looking for water. But
after drilling well after well, he failed. No water. Luckily Crane’s
geologist found oil.
(Saudi Arabia has had this problem ever since:
Every time we look for water, we find oil.)
As the world’s largest producer and exporter
and the world’s largest consumer and importer of oil, Saudi
Arabia and the US have a natural partnership. Saudi Oil Minister
Al-Naimi met with US Energy Secretary Bodman in Riyadh in
mid-November to discuss ways to better ensure the stability of the
oil markets.
The Energy Secretary also attended a session of
the International
Energy Forum, which inaugurated the new headquarters of the
Forum’s permanent Secretariat in Riyadh and launched the Joint
Oil Data Initiative. This database is intended to enhance the
transparency of world oil markets by incorporating oil-related
data from more than 90 countries.
The goal of the International Energy Forum is
to promote a better dialogue between producers and consumers, and
the Joint Oil Data Initiative will help to accomplish this by
bringing together information to help producers and consumers plan
for the future.
King Abdullah believes this undertaking is
critical to maintaining a stable energy market, and is important
to the world economy. In order to ensure a fair and reasonable
price for and adequate supply of oil for consumers, Saudi Arabia
must be able to increase its production capacity without
jeopardizing the interests of future generations or damaging its
oil fields. Improved planning and cooperation with consumers, like
the United States, will help accomplish this.
Improving dialogue and understanding between
the US and Saudi Arabia does not end with oil, however.
Saudis know the United States well. We know
America because tens of thousands of Saudis have studied here,
including myself. And hundreds of thousands of Saudis have come
here to vacation, for medical treatment, and to visit family. Our
business interactions date back to the 1930s, and our governments
have cooperated successfully on many levels for decades.
However, the American people know very little
about Saudi Arabia – except that it is a far away place, where
the people wear robes, and there is plenty of oil, sand, and
camels. In some ways this perception is improving, but I feel in
many ways, Americans’ view of my country is devolving.
There is a cartoon show in the US on the Fox
network called “American Dad.” It is about a C.I.A. agent. In
two recent episodes, this American Dad was sent to Saudi Arabia as
punishment for ruining his boss’ birthday party.
This is belied by the fact that Saudi Arabia is
home to one of the largest American civilian communities in any
country in the world.
I believe how we are educating ourselves about
each other is critical. How we are informed affects our
understanding of each other. And cartoon TV shows just don’t do
it. While Saudi Arabia can accept some responsibility for this
lack of understanding, we both have ways to go, and I know we are
working to correct that.
The Kingdom has opened its doors to the
international media, so they can observe for themselves what Saudi
society is truly like, and report on it accurately.
Some independent efforts are also taking place.
At my alma mater, Georgetown University, the
McDonough School of Business is coordinating programs with the Effat
College for women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In October,
representatives from both institutions met to share information
about how businesses and business educators in Saudi Arabia can
work together. They are also developing ways to better educate
women as future business leaders.
Efforts such as this, to not only use our
strengths for mutual benefit, but also to foster better cultural
understanding between our nations, are critical to the future of
our relationship.
While there are certainly differences between
us, our common attributes far outweigh them. If this were not the
case, we would not have the long history as friends and partners
that we do – in business, trade, energy, fighting the war on
terrorism, or seeking a stable and peaceful Middle East.
Our historic ties have evolved to become bonds
of cooperation and friendship, as the global community has become
smaller and our nations’ interests interlocked with those of
others.
We are two nations with the fortitude, ability,
and resources to act for the good of humanity. Our continued
cooperation is of the utmost importance and of consequence to the
future because, as did our ancestors before us, we have an
obligation to our children and grandchildren, to leave our world
in a better state than we found it.
Thank you, and God’s peace and blessings are
upon you.
About Prince Turki al Faisal
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