Saudi-US Relations Information Service (SUSRIS) & Saudi-American Forum (SAF) Quarterly Summary

A Review of April - June 2005 Production

Editor's Note:

This compilation provides a summary of SAF and SUSRIS interviews, essays, items of interest and special reports distributed between April 1 and June 30, 2005.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for helping make the SUSRIS a top choice for news, analyses, discussions and interviews concerning US-Saudi relations.  We appreciate your continued interest in receiving SUSRIS newsletters, in recommending SUSRIS to your friends and colleagues, in visiting the SUSRIS Web site and in participating in on-line discussions.  

News in Depth - A New List, Continued Resolve: The War on Terrorism in the Kingdom
[SUSRIS News in Depth - June 30, 2005]

"The capabilities of the Saudi security forces are much improved over what they were before May 2003. The Saudi efforts since then have resulted in almost decapitating the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization or network in Saudi Arabia. Almost every leader they put forward has been taken out by the Saudis. In addition they have lost a lot of their technical capabilities -- the expert bomb makers, tacticians, recruiters and so forth.."  [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Search for Regional Security
Abdulaziz Sager, Arab News
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 28, 2005]

"..Throughout their contemporary history, Saudi-Iranian relations have ranged between cooperation and tension. Decision-makers in both countries now clearly realize that their ties have generally been more of an echo of external changes than an expression of national interests. When the US policy was based on the twin pillar of Riyadh and Tehran maintaining regional security, the ties between the two countries were characterized by an unprecedented level of cooperation and coordination. But after the revolution Tehran�s efforts were directed at confronting its regional neighbors in general, and the littoral states of the Arabian Gulf in particular. Accordingly, there was unjustified interference in the affairs of some regional countries with a view to instigating domestic, sectarian and national contradictions.." [Complete Item - HTML]

The DCM's Perspective:  A Conversation With Gary Grappo
Part 1
[SUSRIS Interview - June 22, 2005]

"..It truly is a booming economy right now. There are extraordinary opportunities -- probably akin to what it was in the early- to mid-seventies, and the Saudis want us to be there.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Secretary Rice Roundtable
with Saudi Media
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 21, 2005]

"..the Foreign Minister and I had a chance to meet and we had a chance to develop the agenda. We've agreed, first of all, on process that we will meet -- he and I will meet, twice a year, so once in Riyadh and once in Washington. ..the first meeting in Washington will likely be in September.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Secretary Rice, Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal Meet the Press
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 21, 2005]

"..Our two countries share a long and deep history of friendship. We are allies in war on terrorism and partners in the search for peace and stability in the region. We also have strong and mutually beneficial commercial and economic relations that we both are trying to enhance.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Trade Mission: US Diplomat Shares Upbeat Assessment
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 19, 2005]

"The timing of this trade mission could not be better. You've heard from a number of speakers already that we have some extraordinary developments occurring in the kingdom, which should be attractive to American businesses.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia is Ready for Tourists
Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 15, 2005]

"I happened to read an article titled �Are We Ready Yet to Welcome Tourists?� in the Arab News (May 29). In the article the author Amr Al-Faisal mentions some of the obstacles and difficulties facing our efforts to promote tourism. While thanking him for showing interest in the subject, we would like to clarify some points.." [Complete Item - HTML]

On Doing Business: A Conversation with Omar Bahlaiwa - Trade Mission 2005
[SUSRIS Interview -  June 14, 2005]

"..We organized this trade mission not just because it is good business, but we also believe Americans are friends of Saudi Arabia. We wanted to extend our hands to them to show them that Saudi Arabia remains open to our American friends.."  [Complete Item - HTML]

Update on Saudi Arabia
Khaled Al-Maenna - Middle East Institute Policy Brief
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 11, 2005]

"..Al-Maeena found much cause for hope and optimism. Saudis, particularly the younger generation, desire an active role in society and demand innovative ideas and approaches. Reforms and reformers are no longer branded "un-Islamic" by the rightist "obscurantists," and society as a whole is more tolerant than before of new and different ideas. Change and reform, while they may be slow in coming, are remaking much of Saudi society.." [Complete Item - HTML]

A Fresh Start in Saudi-US Relationship
Hassan Yassin, Arab News
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - June 9, 2005]

"..the meeting between .. President George W. Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah, at Bush's Crawford ranch .. may be seen as a .. defining moment, a moment that underwrites the next half-century of Saudi-American relations.. ..Today both sides have realized their mistakes and are making real efforts to overcome their differences and misunderstandings. A strong injection of constructive energy and understanding was needed; standing together, Bush and Abdullah provided it.." 
[Complete Item - HTML]

2005 Trafficking in Persons Report Released
[SUSRIS News In-Depth - June 5, 2005]

"On June 3, 2005 the US State Department released the fifth annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report marked by a press briefing by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Ambassador John R. Miller, Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Persons.  The Congressionally mandated report noted that Saudi Arabia was among four countries -- the others are Kuwait, UAE and Qatar -- that were added to the list of Tier 3 countries [see below for Tier Placements].  The Tier 3 countries which can be sanctioned unless they take "significant steps against trafficking" according to Ambassador Miller were cited based on "their failure primarily to make significant efforts to combat forced labor trafficking." This SUSRIS NID provides background on the TIP and news reports relating to the inclusion of Saudi Arabia on the Tier 3 country list." [Complete Item - HTML]

With Friends Like These
SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM
The Inside Story of the Saudi-U.S. Connection
by Gerald Posner, Reviewed by Thomas W. Lippman
[SUSRIS Interview -  June 2, 2005]

Readers who were persuaded by the intimations of skullduggery in Craig Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud , which reached a wide audience via Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," will find their suspicions reinforced; those who take a more nuanced view of Saudi Arabia and U.S.-Saudi relations are likely to find Posner's book a tendentious rehash of old material, repackaged to put the kingdom in the worst possible light. [Complete Item - HTML]

Building Bridges: A Conversation with Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal
[SUSRIS Interview -  June 2, 2005]

"..the visit of Prince Abdullah, our Crown Prince, with President Bush in Crawford, demonstrated the very strong relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. The trade between our countries has quite a long history - more than half a century. At the moment the economy in the Kingdom is doing extremely well and Saudi Arabia decided to open up the new business prospects to investors -- not just to Saudis, but international investors and, of course, American investors.." [Complete Item - HTML]

On Relations and Reforms: 
A Conversation with Rachel Bronson
Part I
[SUSRIS Interview -  May 31, 2005]

"The overall US-Saudi relationship went through a very difficult period after September 11th but at the highest levels, exemplified by the recent meeting at Crawford, it is being repaired.  That being said, it is a very troubled relationship. There is a lot of frustration on both sides. There is anger about September 11th, about what's going on in the region, about who's responsible for terrorism and a host of other issues.." [Complete Item - HTML]

The Need for Education Reform - "Saudi System is the Problem"
by Rachel Bronson and Isobel Coleman
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 31, 2005]

"Today Saudi Arabia faces an education crisis. During our recent two-week visit to the kingdom, the need for educational reform arose repeatedly among parents, policymakers, journalists, religious clerics and business leaders.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Open Letter to Saudis
by Tanya C. Hsu, Arab News
[SAF Item of Interest -  May 30, 2005]

Since Sept. 11, I have tried in vain to explain the Kingdom to a country reluctant to understand or listen, have been the target of attacks, and have had professional difficulty for insisting on clarity on Saudi issues. It is acceptable in the US to be anti-war, anti-Bush, or support the Palestinians; it is not acceptable on either side of the political spectrum to be �pro-Saudi�. That is �sleeping with the enemy� or �hero worship�. [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Political Reform in the Arab World
Philip Zelikow
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 25, 2005]

"..Americans are deeply bound up in the modern history of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia developed its energy resources in close partnership with the United States. Thousands of Americans contributed to the development of the Kingdom's energy and economic infrastructure, and thousands of Saudis came to the U.S. to take advantage of our world-class education system. As the holder of approximately one-quarter of the world's oil reserves, the Kingdom is obviously important to the United States, and the rest of the world.." 
[Complete Item - HTML]

21st Century World Still Needs Saudi Oil
By Martin Sieff
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 24, 2005]

"The continued safety and stability of Saudi Arabia will remain a priority goal for major industrial nations dependent upon continued supplies of high-grade, easily-accessible petroleum for decades to come."  [Complete Item - HTML]

A Man With A Mission: Khaled Al Seif Talks About US-Saudi Business Relations 
[SUSRIS Interview -  May 23, 2005]

"The business relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia is an old and historic relationship, which has been very beneficial for both Saudis and Americans. Over the years America has been Saudi Arabia's primary trading partner. Most of the things you see in Saudi Arabia are a result of this relationship -- American technology starting from oil exploration to infrastructure and public works.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Women Moving Up in Business
Remarks by Princess Lolowah Al-Faisal
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 18, 2005]

"The tremendous annual increase of female graduates that outnumbered male graduates  for the past 10 years, as well as the opening of new positions for women in the market pushed for more expansion of the role of the woman in the society in general and in business in particular.  It is clear, however, that the expansion of the population, which caused more economic pressures, made more women choose to establish their own businesses instead of staying at home.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Trade Mission Receives Warm Welcome in US
by P.K. Abdul Ghafour
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 16, 2005]

"US officials and businessmen have accorded a warm welcome to a 50-member Saudi trade mission currently visiting American states to promote investment projects worth SR2.33 trillion ($623 billion) in natural gas, petrochemicals, water, electricity and other vital sectors.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Mega Projects 2005 Conference
[SUSRIS News In-Depth -  May 11, 2005]

"The three-day Saudi Mega Projects 2005 conference ended yesterday urging Saudi and foreign businessmen to make use of the huge investment opportunities in the Kingdom, especially in oil, gas, petrochemicals, electricity and railroad.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Crawford Summit Perspective:  A Conversation with Thomas Lippman
[SUSRIS Interview -  May 9, 2005]

"it was clear from Abdullah's personal performance and from the way he was received at the ranch that a lot of the clouds that hung over the relationship the last time he was here have largely dissipated. That was partly because of the 9/11 commission report, and partly because the Americans now believe that the Saudis have cracked down on domestic terrorism and incitement. Also the American side understands that the oil price increase is not Saudi Arabia's fault.." [Complete Item - HTML]

2005 Saudi Trade Mission Begins US Visit
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 6, 2005]

Saudi Arabia is offering investment projects worth SR2.3 trillion ($613 billion) to American companies. A 50-member Saudi delegation begins a visit to five US states tomorrow to introduce the projects in petrochemicals, natural gas, electricity generation, water desalination, telecommunications and other vital sectors. [Complete Item - HTML]

Easing Visa Restrictions? Ambassador Oberwetter Provides an Update on the Relationship
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  May 4, 2005]

I hope that our Saudi friends will be patient as they apply for their visas, but I do encourage them to come to the United States even though it's a little bit more difficult now than it might have been several years ago. Please understand the reasons for it, but do come.. ..We want to remain an open country, and we want to remain open to our Saudi friends to come and visit us. U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell [Complete Item - HTML]

US-Saudi Milestone
by Robert W. Jordan
[SAF Item of Interest -  April 29, 2005]

"..But our own society evolved from now-forgotten days of witch hunts, slavery, civil war, women's suffrage and violent civil-rights struggles. A society that has only recently seen the rise of skyscrapers and paving of superhighways can also evolve in its own way to an Islamic state prepared to lead the Muslim world in the 21st century. Neither they nor we have another 60 years to wait for that day." [Complete Item - HTML]

Will We Ever Come of Age?
Abeer Mishkhas
[SAF Item of Interest -  April 28, 2005]

The curtain has gone down on the elections in Jeddah and for all interested and cynical people, they are over. For those who do not like how things ended, they�ll have to keep talking about it. It was no surprise, even if it had a bitter taste, that the result of the elections was so diligently pre-decided and predictable. The seven candidates on the so-called �Golden List� swept to victory. The Golden List appeared a few days before the election, was circulated in text messages and on the Internet and bore the signatures of well-known religious scholars who supported the seven candidates. The difference between those who won and those who did not has provoked plenty of thoughts among people. Someone said that Jeddah people were cynical about the elections. And I cannot help but believe that they were. During the voter registration period, over and over, we heard the comment: �What elections? No thanks, not for me.� The comments confirmed a basic skepticism that has sadly become part of our character. [Complete Item - HTML]

We Welcome You, Abdullah Tells US Businessmen
Khaled Almaeena
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 28, 2005]

With his characteristic directness and clarity, Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday invited American businessmen to invest in Saudi Arabia, especially in its gas and mining sectors. �Economic reforms in the Kingdom have created a new investment-friendly environment that welcomes investors,� he said. 
[Complete Item - HTML]

Press Briefing on the President's Meeting With the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
[SUSRIS Special Report -  April 26, 2005]

The Crown Prince comes to the United States as a friend and long-standing ally who is committed to the relationship between the two countries and is seeking ways to enhance it, strengthen it, broaden it, deepen it and revitalize it. Our countries are facing many challenges, whether it is the war on terrorism, where we face the common enemy in Al-Qaeda; whether it is trying to broaden and deepen economic ties between our two countries. And in this area, the United States and Saudi Arabia are on the verge of concluding a bilateral trade agreement which will allow Saudi Arabia to join the World Trade Organization, God willing, before the end of the year. [Complete Item - HTML]

As Saudi Visits, Bush Seeks Help on Lowering Oil Prices
by Richard W. Stevenson and Jeff Gerth, New York Times               
[SUSRIS Special Report -  April 25, 2005]
                                                               
When he meets at his ranch here on Monday with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President Bush will confront one of his trickiest diplomatic relationships. He will look for help on oil prices, try to find common ground on the Arab-Israeli conflict and prod the crown prince to allow more democracy at home , even as both sides struggle with deep strains set off by the involvement of Saudis in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, American officials and analysts said. [Complete Item - HTML]

Third Round Balloting Marks End of Landmark Elections
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 23, 2005]

"Candidates endorsed by religious scholars swept the polls in Jeddah, clinching all seven seats at stake.. ..The �Golden List� candidates� widely anticipated win followed similar victories in holy cities of Makkah and Madinah after voting on Thursday to elect half the members of municipal councils in a landmark nationwide ballot. Several western and northern regions were covered in Thursday�s final round of elections, which began in the Riyadh region on Feb. 10."  [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Municipal Elections -- Round Three 
[SUSRIS News In Depth -  April 21, 2005]

A total of 244 seats are up for grabs in today�s elections. In all, more than 4,600 candidates are courting the votes of some 333,000 Saudi men aged over 21 who have registered to cast their ballots, according to official estimates. 
[Complete Item - HTML]

Militants Losing Ground in Saudi Arabia: Gardner
Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 19, 2005]

BBC security correspondent, Frank Gardner, who was seriously wounded in the Kingdom when he was attacked by militants 10 months ago, said insurgency in Saudi Arabia was on the back foot with the Saudi security services gaining in confidence and skill. [Complete Item - HTML]

Insight on the Kingdom
from the Author of Inside the Mirage --
A Conversation with Thomas Lippman - Part 2
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 18, 2005]

We are pleased today to bring you the second part of our recent conversation with Mr. Thomas Lippman addressing developments in Saudi Arabia and in the US-Saudi relationship. He is author of "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile Relationship with Saudi Arabia," an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington and former Washington Post Middle East bureau chief. 
[Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Women Are Making Strides: Crown Prince
Raid Qusti, Arab News
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 14, 2005]

"Crown Prince Abdullah said that Saudi women have started entering the mainstream of national life and hoped that social attitudes toward them would change for the better in less than five years.  He also said Saudi Arabia is working on achieving true democracy � democracy that we want and aspire for � in the next 20 years.."  [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia's Progress in the War on Terrorism: A Conversation with Anthony Cordesman - Part 1
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 11, 2005]

"Saudi Arabia began dealing with al Qaeda as a threat really in the late 1990's -- long before 9-11. It has responded steadily over time to threats, but it is also fair to point out that until May 2003 it really didn't see this as an urgent internal issue. It was only then that it began to restructure its security forces. They improved cooperation between the security forces and the military. They sought the kind of foreign help in intelligence support that could improve their capabilities and produce better results.." [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia and the Struggle Against Terrorism
by Dr. Anthony Cordesman
[SUSRIS Item of Interest -  April 11, 2005]

"The last few weeks have confirmed the fact that Saudi counter terrorism forces are becoming steadily more effective, that many of the leaders of Al Qa�ida in Saudi Arabia have been captured, and that Al Qa�ida in Arabia has not emerged as a major threat to the Kingdom's stability.. ..The threat isn't over. The Saudi victory in Al-Rass did not come quickly or easily. It took a three-day battle and Saudi special forces, police, and security units took serious casualties.."
[Complete Item - HTML]

Women of the Holy Kingdom
By Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - April 4, 2005]

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy spent five weeks in Saudi Arabia filming a documentary on the women's movement for the Discovery Times Channel.. "..My first week in Saudi Arabia was an eye-opener. Jeddah looks just like any other cosmopolitan city. Its wide boulevards and shopping malls boast the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton � and almost every American fast food chain. The streets are lined with BMWs and Hummers. The Saudi government has imported hundreds and thousands of palm trees from all over the world to turn its desert into an oasis. But behind the glitz and glamour, I saw a country desperate for political and social reform.." [Complete Item - HTML]