"..President George Bush's call to reduce America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil has sparked "serious concern" in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's ambassador to Washington has said.  "I was taken aback," Prince Turki al-Faisal told CNN television in an interview on Sunday.  He was commenting on Bush's State of the Union speech last Tuesday in which he said America needed to end its addiction to oil.  Expressing his surprise, al-Faisal said he had brought up Saudi concerns over the speech with White House officials.."

US State Department - Washington, DC
Taken Question - Office of the Spokesman

Question Taken at the February 3 Daily Press Briefing

SAUDI ARABIA: Ambassador's Question Regarding the State of the Union Address

Question: The Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. requested clarification about the President's call for reduced U.S. dependence on foreign oil during the State of the Union Address. Has the U.S. responded to him?

Answer: The United States and Saudi Arabia engage in bilateral relations on an ongoing basis, and discussions on energy are part of our ongoing Strategic Dialogue. We would be happy to address any questions it might raise about statements made by the Administration or the President in the course of these discussions.

As for the State of the Union Address, the President's comments on U.S. energy policy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil were clear. A fact sheet on the Advanced Energy Initiative can be found on the White House web site.

2006/148
Released on February 3, 2006

U.S. POLICY ON ENERGY -- Excerpt from interview with Ambassador Turki al Faisal on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer - Feb. 5, 2006 (more)

BLITZER: Here's what the president said the other day. And I'm not going to play the sound bite. You've heard it many times, but basically, the president, in his State of the Union address said the United States is addicted to oil and this must stop.  A lot of that oil comes from your kingdom. 

AL-FAISAL: Not true. Most of the oil you receive comes from other places. 

BLITZER: But a lot comes from Saudi Arabia. 

AL-FAISAL: We export to the United States only 15 percent of the United States' imports. I would hardly call that a lot. 

BLITZER: So, how did you react when you heard the president say the United States must end its addiction to oil? 

AL-FAISAL: Well, he went further than that, actually, and said "Middle East oil." I was taken aback and I raised this point with government officials. 

BLITZER; You were sitting in the chamber when he said that. 

AL-FAISAL: I was, indeed, and the next day had a very good meeting at the White House with National Security Council Director Stephen Hadley. And we are talking through that issue, both governments. 

BLITZER: Well, what does that mean -- we're talking through that issue? Because, as you know, you're developing your oil fields assuming there's going to be an appetite for that oil? 

AL-FAISAL: And stemming from a joint communiqu� that came out of King Abdullah's visit to Texas last year in which both he and the president agreed on a joint energy policy that includes the increase in Saudi oil output and working together to increase refining capacity to provide oil products and so on. 

It is something that is of serious concern to us because oil is our major income earner. 

BLITZER: So, what happens now? You and Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser met. Where do you go from here? 

AL-FAISAL: We're talking about these issues and that's where we're going. 

BLITZER: We have to leave it right there, unfortunately. Mr. Ambassador, this was a good discussion. 

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