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| Editor's
Note:
In an address
to the US-Arab Economic Forum (Sep 28-30) in
Detroit Prince Saud Al-Faisal discussed the
U.S.-Saudi Arabian relationship -- its
background, status and prospects -- and
developments in the Middle East. We are
pleased to be able to bring you his remarks.
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September
30, 2003
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I would like to thank
the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum and Mayor Kwame M.
Kilpatrick for holding this meeting in the great city of
Detroit. Detroit not only produces the best cars, and
arguably the best taboulah and hummous, yet it has also
been hospitable to the Arab-American community.
Knowing how Arabs are
proud of their language, I had intended to deliver my
speech in Arabic, but after hearing the eloquent use of
that language by participants in this Forum, especially
our Arab-American friends, I decided, in all humility,
to speak in English instead. Regardless of the language,
it is indeed a pleasure for me to be here this morning.
We meet at an important
gathering, and at a significant time to discuss an
important subject: how best to achieve economic
cooperation. I started my career in government --let�s
just say many years ago - as a junior economics
researcher in the Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.
That is why the subject of this forum intrigues and
fascinates me.
Economics, investment,
commerce and trade are the pillars upon which relations
among nations are founded.
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paraphrase an old saying: if war is an
extension of diplomacy, in this age of
globalization, diplomacy has become an
extension of economics. If economic relations
are healthy, fair and equitable between
nations, they will lead to a harmonious
accord. If not, discord and strife are the
logical outcome.
I would like
to discuss with you today some of the issues
facing our two nations. In spite of our
governments trying to assume credit for the
harmonious relationship between Saudi Arabia
and the United States, it was actually
established by entrepreneurs, businessmen and
investors.
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...credit
for the harmonious
relationship between Saudi
Arabia and the United
States... was actually
established by entrepreneurs,
businessmen and investors...
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In the 1930s, when the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was building the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco, your business community
and the Saudi people were building an 8,000-mile bridge
between our two nations. American oil companies came to
Arabia, discovered oil and established roots among us.
Many other companies followed. They all found a
welcoming environment.
Over the years, the
relationship evolved and blossomed to assume a
political, as well as a strategic dimension, and
developed into a full-fledged alliance between two
countries and people who shared similar values in spite
of their different cultures and history.
Our bonds remain strong
because American and Saudi values are, at their core,
very similar.
Like the American
people, Saudis are dedicated to preserving the qualities
that uniquely define them: their faith and trust in God,
their history, their culture, and their hope for a
better future for their children and grandchildren.
Yesterday, I was in New
York. I was again struck with pain by memories of that
horrible day when so many innocent people perished.
The people of Saudi
Arabia were horrified by the blatant disregard for human
life and the evilness of the deed. We were appalled that
human beings can inflict such pain on other human
beings.
Contrary to the
perceptions advanced by some in the media, well over 90%
of the Saudi people reject Bin Laden and what he stands
for. And these figures were the result of public opinion
polls taken by American pollsters in Saudi Arabia.
The aim of the
terrorists who committed these crimes was humanity at
large. They hoped that their acts would incite conflict
among faiths and civilizations and bring an end to order
in the global system.
| Bin
Laden, who had nurtured a particular hatred
for America and Saudi Arabia, arranged for a
special twist that is demonic in its intent.
It has been proven by the admissions of no
other than Khaled Sheik Mohammed, al-Qaeda's
chief of operations who is under detention by
the United States, that Bin Laden personally
chose mainly Saudis to carry out the missions
of 9-11, even though Saudis are a minority in
the ranks of al-Qaeda and in its leadership.
His aim in
doing so was obvious: It was to drive a wedge
between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
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Bin
Laden... nurtured a
particular hatred for
America and Saudi Arabia...
...His aim... was to drive a
wedge between Saudi
Arabia and the United States.
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On that day, however,
the whole world stood by America. People from all
corners of the world joined hands to denounce that
heinous act and support the resolve of the United States
to bring the perpetrators to justice - whatever the cost
- and to declare that terrorism has no religion or
nationality; that it is pure evil, condemned and
abhorred by all faiths and all cultures.
True Muslims, for their
part, will not allow a cult of extremists to distort
Islam's peaceful message and spirit of tolerance.
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But the damage
was done, and Saudi Arabia has since been
forced to witness a distressing change in the
way Americans perceive our country. We are
concerned by what we believe is an organized
campaign waged against the Kingdom by some in
the United States.
If you ask me
by whom, you may hazard a guess; I will not.
If you ask me why, I would admit that I am
truly puzzled.
For if the
objective of this campaign is to cast doubts
on the Kingdom, taint its reputation, and
damage its ties with America, then the people
waging it are wittingly or unwittingly serving
the purposes of Bin Laden.
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We
are concerned by what
we believe is an organized
campaign waged against
the Kingdom by some in the
United States... ...the people
waging it are wittingly or
unwittingly serving the
purposes of Bin Laden.
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In this campaign, the
Kingdom was initially attacked for supporting terrorism,
then for funding terrorism, and now our very identity as
a nation is being questioned. Our faith is being
attacked.
We are accused of having
global ambitions and of supporting a global jihad,
presumably to turn the world into an Islamic one. Come
on! If the great powers on earth, from the Roman Empire
in ancient times, to the United States today could not
change the world in their image, do you really believe
that a small country like Saudi Arabia can? How absurd!
That we are a
conservative Islamic country is true. This has been
known for over sixty years. If we can be accused of
anything, it is our insularity, and that we prefer to be
left alone. But to be accused of being an expansionist
entity that seeks world domination, that�s ridiculous.
The Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia is known and respected in the Islamic world as
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, dedicated to the
service of Muslims in any way it can. It is also known
to be a moderate country that does not interfere in the
internal affairs of others.
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These
qualities have allowed Saudi Arabia to enjoy
the best of relations, even with the countries
of the industrialized world, and especially
those with large Muslim communities. These
qualities have also served the interests of
both our countries, regionally and
internationally, with great effect.
We have proven
to be a reliable ally during the cold war, and
our contributions in the political, security
and especially in the economic spheres, attest
to that beyond any doubt.
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We
have proven to be a
reliable ally during the
cold war, and our
contributions in the
political, security and
especially in the economic
spheres, attest to that
beyond any doubt.
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Yes, 15 of the 19
hijackers were Saudi. But should everything else be
forgotten, including the fact that we are being targeted
by the same terrorists? It is inherently unfair to allow
a group of deviant criminals to taint a nation of 16
million.
I have no doubt that the
campaign to malign the Kingdom will fail because facts,
as President Reagan used to say, are stubborn things.
The facts are that our
leaders have declared a relentless war not only on the
terrorists, but on those who support their ideology,
fund and sustain them, or provide justification for
their acts.
We have frozen the
assets of suspects, and put in place new laws and
measures to ensure that no funding goes to support
terror, intentionally or unintentionally. We have set up
a High Commission for the Oversight of Charities in
order to do that.
The facts also show that
since September 11, 2001, Saudi Arabia has arrested more
than 500 suspected terrorists of various nationalities.
We have also broken up
al-Qaeda cells and captured arms caches, and provided
significant information that helped foil terrorist
attacks and save lives in a number of countries,
including the United States.
Our two countries are
working together in an unprecedented manner. We have set
up two joint task forces that are working side-by-side
to aggressively pursue terrorists and track their
financing.
In this war, we shall
not waver and we will show no mercy to the terrorists.
And God willing, we shall prevail.
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As I said at
the outset, co-operation, whether in the
economic field or on security matters,
requires mutual understanding, knowledge and
trust. And this cannot be achieved by
government policies alone, but requires a
public that is aware and supportive.
Our
relationship was sustained for over sixty
years by people-to-people contact, and if it
is to continue for another sixty years, it
will require maintaining trust and
understanding among our people.
One of the
most painful consequences of the 9-11 tragedy
was the effect of the rush to take measures to
secure the United States. This reaction is
understandable.
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...co-operation,
whether in
the economic field
or on security matters,
requires mutual understanding,
knowledge and trust...
...it will require maintaining
trust and understanding
among our people...
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But, unfortunately, some
of these measures are doing great damage to the
people-to-people contact.
I am speaking here about
the procedures which have made it almost impossible for
Saudis to visit the United States.
Virtually every Saudi
family has a member who is a student, a medical patient,
a businessman or a tourist in America. The difficulties
they encounter obtaining a visa, and the process they go
through when they arrive in America brought this
interaction almost to a standstill.
This, to say the least,
is not conducive to maintaining the healthy relations
that existed between our two countries.
The undeniable truth is
that the measures against Saudis in this respect are
alienating them and negatively impacting trade and
investment, without an equal return to the security of
American citizens.
We sincerely hope, that
the United States government will re-examine the subject
and take steps to remedy this situation to assure
expanding co-operation between our two countries. But
there is also a domestic equation to the need to
facilitate this expansion.
The measures we took to
create the domestic conditions necessary for investment
and growth have been and will be articulated by my
colleagues.
As to the political
reforms, the political institutions in Saudi Arabia are
in a process of transition towards expanded
participation. Legal systems and procedures are being
reformed and streamlined for the benefit of our citizens
and residents.
Educational curricula
and teaching methods have been updated, and a Center for
National Dialogue has been established.
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The government
is moving with deliberate speed on a very
ambitious reform program designed to bring
about change, while at the same time
maintaining the social cohesion that binds the
nation. Our leaders absolutely refuse to
experiment with the lives of our people and
their wellbeing.
Reform is a
response to the aspiration of the people and
their needs, and not a theory in the head of
some planner. It is for their benefit in order
to provide them with good governance and
transparency.
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Reform
is a response
to the aspiration
of the people and
their needs...
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It is self-evident that
stability is a necessary requisite for change and
reform. For the Middle East to develop, the Arab-Israeli
conflict must be resolved. And for peace to take place
between the Palestinians and Israelis, both sides must
want it at the same time. The issue is not one of
personalities, but one of politics. Both sides have
responsibilities.
Although the
Palestinians did maintain a ceasefire for six weeks to
allow for negotiations to start, Israel continued its
assassination of Palestinians, expansion of settlements
and the construction of the infamous wall.
Israel faces a choice. I
cannot articulate this choice as clearly as or as
eloquently as the following, and please bear with me
while I read you some lines about this choice:
The writer asks Israel,
and I quote:
"Do you want the
greater Land of Israel? No problem. Abandon democracy.
Let's institute an efficient system of racial separation
here, with prison camps and detention villages. Qalqilya
Ghetto and Gulag Jenin.
"Do you want a
Jewish majority? No problem. Either put the Arabs on
railway cars, buses, camels and donkeys and expel them
en masse �or separate ourselves from them absolutely,
without tricks and gimmicks.
�There is no middle
path. We must remove all the settlements � all of them
- and draw an internationally recognized border between
the Jewish national home and the Palestinian national
home.
"Do you want
democracy? No problem. Either abandon the greater Land
of Israel, to the last settlement and outpost, or give
full citizenship and voting rights to everyone,
including Arabs.
End of quote
These lines were not
penned by a radical Arab, but by Avraham Burg, the
former Speaker of Israel's Knesset, and the former
Chairman of the Jewish Agency. He is currently a member
of the Knesset for the Labor Party.
Mr. Burg also provides
the following advice, and I quote:
"There is time to
change course, but not much. What is needed is a new
vision of a just society and the political will to
implement it." End of quote.
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I cannot add
anything to this. I do know, however, that
without settling this dispute, all endeavors
in the region become difficult, if not
impossible including Iraq.
With regard to
Iraq, we hope that the international community
will devise a concrete plan to help it emerge
from its present difficulty. It is difficult
enough, in the present unsettled condition of
the Middle East, to deal with the Iraqi
situation.
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...without
settling this
dispute, all endeavors in
the region become
difficult, if not impossible...
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Certainly the dialogue
about Iraq in the United Nations before the war, during
the war, and even after the war, has not been helpful by
any means. This debate has considered everything under
the sun except what to do to help Iraq.
The removal of Saddam
Hussein - to the good fortune of the Iraqi people -
should have been the opening for a healthy debate to
create the positive changes the Iraqi people deserve.
Iraq is a proud and
ancient nation, and it has the people and resources to
manage its future. The priorities should be set by the
Iraqi people not outsiders.
The international
community must assure the unity and territorial
integrity of Iraq while it transforms itself according
to the wishes of its people. Those who can help should
do so with good will. Recrimination and accusation only
stymie efforts.
It is our hope that the
turmoil our region has undergone in the past few years
will be replaced by stability, prosperity, and peace.
For this to happen, we must focus on finding solutions
to the region's problems, and improve the lives of its
inhabitants.
The United States can
play a constructive role by providing leadership, talent
and resources. And the U.S.-Arab Economic Forum can help
shed light on the importance of trade and economic
development, not only to the region, but to American
businesses as well.
As Arab-Americans you
are a bridge, which links America to the Arab world. You
have an important role to play, and should take pride in
your heritage which has become, thanks to you, a
valuable part of the American mosaic.
You can play a crucial
role in sustaining and strengthening the bonds between
America and the lands of your ancestors. As loyal
Americans of Arab origins, you will certainly have great
influence in determining the course of future
Arab-American relations.
Thank you.
Source: SaudiEmbassy.net
