EDITOR'S NOTE:

Today, we present an interview with Wyche Fowler, Chairman of the Middle East Institute and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1996 to 2001.  He talked with SUSRIS several days before the presidential election in the United States.  

Ambassador Fowler's tenure as America's top diplomat in Saudi Arabia coincided with dramatic changes in  the U.S. security situation in the Gulf, especially in the Kingdom.  The terrorist bombing of a military dormitory in al-Khobar in 1996 led to an overhaul of the U.S. force posture, including the redeployment of Operation Southern Watch air forces from Dhahran to Prince Sultan Air Base.  It also resulted in the involvement of American law enforcement elements in the investigation and new levels of cooperation between U.S. and Saudi officials to track down the terrorists and organizations responsible. 

Ambassador Fowler shared insights on these significant developments in U.S.-Saudi relations as well as his appraisal of the current situation during this interview which was conducted by telephone from Washington on October 27, 2004.

U.S.-Saudi Relations: Attitudes and Perspectives Ambassador Wyche Fowler Interview

SPEAK OUT PRINT OUT TAKE ACTION

SUSRIS: Thank you for speaking with us today. We appreciate hearing your perspective on US-Saudi relations. How would you assess the bilateral ties between Washington and Riyadh?

Amb. Wyche Fowler: Going back all the way to President Roosevelt, the Saudis demonstrated a strong friendship with American administrations, be they Republican or Democrat. They have worked across party lines and political lines. They have responded to the requests of the United States' government in crisis, whether it be in military security or energy stability. They have sought to demonstrate that they see the United States, and by extension our people, as a firm and dependable friend.

SUSRIS: Can you comment on government-to-government ties and the level of cooperation, especially in the war on terrorism, that President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and others have applauded?

Amb. Fowler: I believe President Bush when he commented positively, over and over again, that on the government-to-government level, the cooperation in matters of intelligence, security and sharing of information has continued to improve dramatically. We have also combined our resources in the fight against terrorists in Saudi Arabia and around the region.

Counter-terrorism cooperation continues to improve -- it accelerated certainly after 9/11 -- but, it really began after the bombings in 1995 in Riyadh and in 1996 at Al Khobar. In both cases Americans were killed by terrorist attacks. The Saudis were flabbergasted and astonished not only that this had happened, but it had happened within their country. The call went out from the Saudi side for help with their security forces and their intelligence gathering. They regarded the United States as having superior technology and a more sophisticated network of intelligence.

It was those bombings that began, albeit on a much smaller scale than today's level, cooperative efforts of exchanging information and finding a way to not only track the killers and find out who did it but to try to ensure that it did not happen again. Of course, after 9/11, we all poured resources into it. The Saudis realized -- I think even their critics would acknowledge -- that this was as much of a problem within Saudi Arabia as it might be in America in the future. The Saudis had a problem within their own country that had to be dealt with, and so, the sharing of information, sharing of resources and the determination to find and eliminate these cells was as much a part of the Saudis' needs as it was to help America.

SUSRIS:  Louis Freeh, former Director of the FBI, commented in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on the close coordination between the FBI and the Mabaheth, the kingdom's antiterrorist police, during investigations of the bombings. How close was US-Saudi cooperation during that period?

Amb. Fowler: That was during my time in Saudi Arabia as well. I can tell you the extent of cooperation was inspired and directed by Louis Freeh and George Tenet. The Saudi security and police intelligence people had an extraordinary amount of respect for Mr. Freeh. They saw him as a straight shooter and an honest man. He not only asked for information, but he brought to the table offers to train Saudi security people in technologies and techniques at FBI facilities in the United States. He put together a mechanism by which information could be more quickly detected and shared. He, as well as George Tenet who also gained the respect of his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, are really responsible for the first systematic, cooperative efforts in the field of counterterrorism between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

SUSRIS:  There is a perception fostered by some observers of US-Saudi relations that counterterrorism cooperation was poor prior to 9/11.

Amb. Fowler: I think the important thing to remember is that 9/11 was a cataclysmic event for both our countries. I think it was the catalyst for something like a Marshall Plan on behalf of the United States to harness our intelligence and counterterrorism activities. However, it was not the beginning. The groundwork had been laid. Committees were meeting. Information was being shared. In Saudi Arabia it began shortly after the terrorist attacks in 1995 and 1996 in Riyadh and Dhahran [Khobar].

SUSRIS: Can we talk a little bit more about the nature of the relationship during your tenure as US Ambassador in Riyadh? How did Saudi Arabians view Americans. What were feelings in the Kingdom about the Middle East peace process and the US role in it?

Amb. Fowler: Prior to 9/11, there were thousands of Saudis studying in the United States. They had been for the previous 20 to 30 years. Twenty-five or 30 years ago, America became the country of choice for those Saudis who wished to be educated overseas. Before that, it had been Europe. But, the Saudis who came to the United States liked what they saw. They liked Americans and American openness. They made friends while they were here, and many of those friendships resulted in commercial relationships, joint ventures or exchanges of one type or another later on. They learned, like Americans, to openly criticize policies that they didn't like. Of course, we know, because the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has gone on so long and has been so terrible, that even our Saudi friends -- those who studied here and those who have not been to the United States -- believe there is a double standard regarding the US position on the Arab-Israeli conflict.

SUSRIS:  Do you see any change in the attitude among Saudis of the U.S. role in the region. Has the US war in Iraq hardened attitudes among people who were already dismayed about U.S. policies in the area?

Amb. Fowler:  No question, it has. There's no question that many Arabs disapprove of American foreign policy, whether it be in Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Iran, or other places. But, until recently they respected and liked the American people and did not blame our government's foreign policies on them.

The danger is that we are losing, I'm afraid, many of these people, who've said in the past, "Although we hate America's policies, we like its people." The danger is that unless we find a way to reverse the perception that all American policy is inimical to their interests, then you're going to have a real crisis if all of a sudden the American people are getting blamed for policies rather than our government. It would then become dangerous to be an American abroad anywhere in the region.

SUSRIS:  How can progress be made to reverse the hardened attitudes and the trend of fewer people to people contacts?

Amb. Fowler: The next administration, whoever it is, has to address this problem - the gulf in people to people connections. The understanding between people is very important. Right now our visa policies are understandably stricter than they were before 9/11. It has the unfortunate consequence of making it difficult for Saudi and other foreign students to study in America. Many of them were studying here and went home for their vacations and were unable to return, as we know. That is an understandable reason for people to be upset with us.

As I said, the next President of the United States is going to have to deal with the issues of foreign policy that have led to these feelings and have led to these restrictions. The president is going to have to resolve the problems in Israel and Palestine, the problems in Iraq, the continued reconstruction of Afghanistan, and the danger inherent in Iran and its nuclear program. What is so challenging is that he must deal with them simultaneously, in my opinion, because in the eyes of the Arab world, they are linked in many very complex but clear ways.

SUSRIS:  Looking at the mirror image -- the negative views among Americans of the Arab world -- clearly, since 9/11, stereotypes have become more firmly rooted. Is there any reason to be optimistic that Americans will come to a fair understanding of the Arab world?

Amb. Fowler:  It's extraordinarily difficult because we are in a mess in that part of the world. Saudi Arabians, for instance, were totally vilified after 9/11. But, there is some encouraging news. The 9/11 Commission repudiated many of the charges that were made against the Saudis -- that the government itself was funding terror and deliberately exported terrorism into our country.

The Saudis have cracked down effectively, not completely, but effectively on individual Saudis who have been sending money to extremist groups in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Why? Because they know that those who fund the violence in Iraq are also funding extremists in Saudi Arabia that are attacking the government and the people there. The Saudis know that, and they are acting on it. So, they tightened the laws on charities. They were very pleased that the G-8 Financial Action Task Force commended them a few months ago on their new laws and the administration of those laws.

There's just so much that still needs to be done. It has to be done in concert. We're not going to be able to eliminate terrorism coming out of that region by ourselves, and the Saudis are probably not going to be able to eliminate terrorists within their own country without sophisticated help, resources and cooperation from the United States.

SUSRIS:  How can the American public be expected to read through the conflicting messages they get about US-Saudi relations?

The problem of television journalism in America is one for which I don't have a solution. Television news shows are far more interested in being entertainment than hard news. People who are asked to be on news talk shows are usually asked for their shock effect. The ones who make the most outlandish claims are the ones who are given prominence on many of the so-called news programs.

SUSRIS:  How are American businesses viewing the relationship, especially the security situation in the Kingdom? Are they anxious to do business during the current boom in Saudi Arabia or are they dissuaded by concerns for security?

Amb. Fowler:  The biggest difficulty is that the State Department, in implementing the Administration's policies, has asked Americans repeatedly to come home and warned American businesses that it is a dangerous place to try to do business.

On the contrary, because Saudi Arabia believes that they are winning the battle with the terrorists and have eliminated many of the cells, the doors are open to the world's business people, Americans included, to come to Saudi Arabia. Since it is a country that values friendship in times of crisis, those businesses that want to factor in the risk of the security situation, I think, will be rewarded with a favorable welcome by the Saudi business establishment and the government.

SUSRIS:  What is your assessment of reforms -- economic, political and social -- in Saudi Arabia?

The advocates of a greater political openness are now allowed to petition the government, and they have done so at the highest level, bringing their request for reform to the Crown Prince himself. From what I read the press is, surprisingly, speaking openly about formally taboo subjects, such as the plight of divorced and abused women, drug addiction and even birth deformities that are attributable to intermarriage.

The role of women is expanding. There are laws that have been rewritten to encourage women to start their own businesses and invest capital. A few months ago, I think the government directed that land, for instance, in industrialized zones be set aside for businesses run and staffed by women. So, the economic and political role of educated women is being expanded.

Lastly, an issue of great concern to the United States -- on education. That is still the greatest problem in Saudi Arabia -- how to educate its people for good paying, modern jobs that will enable young Saudis to sustain themselves, marry, buy a home, and establish a stable and productive life.

The Saudi business community has for many years told the government that their universities were simply not producing the students who had modern skills. The government has belatedly moved to change the school curriculums and abandon teachings by rote, and the books also are being edited and reissued to eliminate those references to hatred of other peoples, which often leads to fanaticism. So, there's much going on. It may be at a glacial pace by American standards, but things are happening at a very quick pace given how far Saudi Arabia has come in a short time.

SUSRIS:  What is the most significant recollection of your experiences in Saudi Arabia, from 1996 to 2001?

Amb. Fowler:  I found the Saudis to be warm and welcoming on the personal level, with a history of respect and admiration for the American people. World events, beginning with 9/11, have strained the personal relationships - that had been built over the last 40 to 50 years -- between our peoples. That is what is sad and what must be overcome.

SUSRIS:  Thank you, Ambassador Fowler for sharing your insight and experience.

Related Material:

• SUSRIS Terrorism Timeline
• Fowler Assures Davidson Audiences of Saudi Support, and Urges Sensitivity to Arab Needs

The Hon. Wyche Fowler, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Middle East Institute

• Served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1996-2001.
• Previously served in the U.S. Senate, 1986-1993; member of the Senate Appropriations, Budget, Energy and Agriculture Committees.
• Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1977; member of the Ways and Means and Foreign Affairs Committees, the Committee of Intelligence, and the Congressional Arts Caucus.
• Practiced law in Atlanta for eight years prior to election.
• Elected to Atlanta City Council, where he later served as president.
• Expert on Saudi Arabia and Middle East affairs.

Source:  Middle East Institute

Saudi-US Relations Information Service
A Public Service of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036
eMail: [email protected] 
Web: http://www.Saudi-US-Relations.org 

Users of the The Saudi-US Relations Information Service are assumed to have read and agreed to 
our terms and conditions and legal disclaimer.