U.S.-Saudi Arabia - Neil Crompton - Conference - CIT / New America Foundation

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ITEM OF INTEREST
May 18, 2009

U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium
Conference Transcripts -- Session 3
Neil Crompton

Editor's Note:

Last week a major forum addressing the state of and prospects for the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was convened in Washington by the New America Foundation (NAF) and the Committee for International Trade (CIT) of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Distinguished speakers spent the day providing perspectives and insights on what the relationship should look like, how economics was shaping the national security picture vis a vis the relationship, the challenges for America in the region and how the perspective on these challenges look from the Saudi Arabian point of view.

Today we are pleased to provide the transcripts from the third and final session, "Through Saudi Arabia's Window and Other Lenses: Middle East Dynamics and Stakeholder Challenges". Among the featured speakers was Neil Crompton, Counselor for the Foreign and Security Policy Group.

Separate emails will provide each panelist's remarks and the question and answer period transcript. You can find all of the conference materials and related links at a new SUSRIS Special Section. [ "U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium" - Conference Special Section ]

Video MP3

U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium
Conference Transcripts -- Session 3
Neil Crompton
Counsellor, Foreign and Security Policy Group

[Neil Crompton] Good afternoon everyone, I�m really delighted to be here. I apologize for the Ambassador�s absence in the presence of such a distinguished panel � I feel a little junior. I shall do my best. My first job in the foreign office I spent covering Saudi Arabia, albeit some ten years ago. I think, I was asked to talk a little about the perspective of how the U.K. sees relations with Saudi Arabia, and how that compliments the U.S.�s approach. I think for an audience like this, I don�t need to say the U.K. is known for its very strong relations with Saudi Arabia. I think there are three different dimensions to that. I think it�s a deep-rooted historical relationship. For better or worse, the U.K. was either an observer or a protagonist in many of the events that led up to the creation of Saudi Arabia or after the First World War I think the second � reason is being strategic interest. U.K.-Saudi relationship has been punctuated by a series of bilateral disputes over many years, but our common strategic interests have kept us together, although many of the big security challenges of the last 70 years or so, particularly the Cold War, we were on the same side of the argument, if not necessarily formal allies. And I think mutual interests keep us closely bound together. A common interest in insuring a steady supply of oil is one of those, but commercial relations, they�re enormously important to both of our countries, and people to people contacts are enormously important. I think anyone who�s been to London in July or August and walked up Edgeware Road sees the color and vitality that Saudi Arabians and their friends in the Gulf brings, and London will be familiar with that. There�s a similar flow of people going the other way to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. In 2009, there were 14000 Saudi students studying in the U.K., an extraordinary number. And Saudi Arabia is the U.K.�s most important market outside the OSCE, with our trade relationship worth over four billion dollars a year. I think by and large, the U.K. and U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia are complimentary. The � of competition between our two countries. � indeed when the United States has outmaneuvered us. In 1945, for example, when President Roosevelt hosted King Abdulaziz on his boat in the Red Sea, and he won � from refraining from smoking in King Abdulaziz�s presence, whereas Winston Churchill, as he would want the character, was puffing away causing some offense. We then compounded the arrow when FDR gave Abdulaziz a DC-3 plane, with which King Abdulaziz was delighted � we, in contrast, gave him a Rolls Royce, which would�ve been fine, but it was a right hand drive. And in Saudi Arabia, servants sit on the right of the car, puncturing the myth that the FCO is laden with "Arabists" who know the surroundings.

Well I think today we are united by sort of a set of common challenges. We will review in President Obama�s first one hundred days in office, I think there�s a common consensus among the foreign policy pundits that the range of foreign policy challenges is extraordinary, and when you look at the big ticket items, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, with all the Middle East, Saudi Arabia�s centrally involved in all of those. So we�re working very closely with � political level. I think on Afghanistan, Pakistan, we�re very pleased with the way Saudi Arabia has brought great stability, in particular, they pledged to give 700 million dollars to Pakistan during the Tokyo Donors Conference. They�re working with the U.K., U.S., and other NATO countries in regulating some of that assistance and committing it to sustainable development projects. And I think Saudi Arabia has over the years built up some unique contacts with both the Afghan government and the Taliban, and has the opportunity to play an important role in bringing forward the political process.

Iran is the second of the great challenges we face. There�s a lot of overlap in U.K. and Saudi thinking both about the nature of the challenge and the problems that will arise from Iran acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. We�ve been working closely over the years both as E3 � the United States, Russia, and China � to develop a coherent diplomatic strategy. I think that our moderate Arab friends have an important role to play in that. We saw a successful development of a dialogue between the E3 plus 3 and the GCC countries plus Jordan and Egypt and � Iraq, to discuss Iran. I think we�ve been at pains to try and point out that diplomatic progress with Iran should not come at the expense of the security interests of the Gulf States, an area where we need to do more work, an area where we need to develop a dialogue. But I think there is also more the Gulf States can do to exercise a diplomatic leverage in the next phase. We are in a new phase. The U.S. is committed to engaging. That gives us opportunities. It also gives us challenges. And I think that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States can do more to help us contain Iran�s malign influence in the region.

And this brings us to my final area of common interest. I think the Middle East peace process, the U.K. strongly welcomes the constructive role Saudi Arabia�s played in this over the years, in particular in promoting and keeping alive the Arab Peace Initiative, commitment that was restated shortly before, well, shortly after the election last year � President Obama has welcomed this, Secretary Clinton has welcomed this. I think � talking about the peace process talks about the need not just for a two state solution, but for a 23 state solution, involving both a secure Israel and an independent Palestine, and all the members of the Arab League at peace with each other. So, what we are working for, and this next phase is to try and insure a positive response to the Arab Peace Initiative from the Israeli government and a willingness by Israel and the Arab League to make clear the benefits of the Arab Peace Initiative, so that both sides can take mutual steps towards each other, and we can begin working towards a situation in which we can develop the framework for a comprehensive peace agreement that allows us to deal with some of the other � strategic challenges like Iran. We very much welcomed the comments that Secretary Clinton made about the linkage between these two issues last week.

Those are some of the challenges. There�s more we can do. I think Iraq is a big challenge. Saudi Arabia, we�ve had differences. I think the United States � the original decision to move into Iraq. We now have a common interest in making the Iraq process work with Saudi Arabia. We welcome the steps that Saudi Arabia and other Arabs are taking to embrace Iraq, bring it back into the Arab fold. And I think that�ll be one of the most constructive roles that the countries can play in helping stabilize the situation in Iraq. And I think there are other important areas of cooperation � counter terrorism. Saudi Arabia and U.K in different ways have been the forefront of international � Interfaith dialogue, I think Saudi Arabia has learned a lot of lessons about � which can � be transferred to other countries. I think these are all � part of the processes � strategic cooperation we�ve developed after many decades, in which we�re committed to continue. I�ll finish there, thank you.

[Visit the SUSRIS Special Section "U.S.-Saudi Relations in a World Without Equilibrium" for the transcripts from this and other panels and additional resources.]

Session Three Video

Courtesy New America Foundation

Video MP3

AGENDA

Panel III: Through Saudi Arabia's Window and Other Lenses: Middle East Dynamics and Stakeholder Challenges

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