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Saudis Warn Pro-Israel U.S. of “Grave Consequences”
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Bush
ended talks with Abdullah saying they "share a
vision" for Mideast peace, but Saudi
officials did not speak to
reporters after the meeting.
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WASHINGTON,
April 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – U.S. President George
W. Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia held
pivotal talks Thursday, the failure of which could seal the breakdown
of America's relations with the Arab world over Bush's stance in the
Middle East conflict, which is perceived as irredeemably pro-Israel.
Bush
ended five hours of talks with Abdullah, saying they "share a
vision" for Middle East peace, even as a key Saudi aide warned of
"grave consequences" if Washington does not moderate its
support for Israel, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Bush,
who hosted the prince at his nearby ranch, also said Riyadh had again
pledged not to use its oil exports to the United States as leverage to
force a change in U.S. Middle East policy.
The
U.S. leader also renewed his demand that Israel complete its
withdrawal of troops from Palestinian territories, adding that Israel
must find "non-violent" ways of ending armed standoffs in
Ramallah and Bethlehem.
"Israel
must finish its withdrawal, including resolution of standoffs in
Ramallah, in Bethlehem, in a nonviolent way," Bush said, after
hearing from his guest that backing for Israel was harming U.S.
interests in the Arab world.
Bush
said he and the prince agreed that the world must step up humanitarian
aid "to the many innocent Palestinians who are suffering,"
and renewed his demand that Arab states must starve what he described
as anti-Israeli violence.
"Our
two nations share a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living
side-by-side in peace and security," said the president, who
applauded the prince's land-for-peace proposal for ending the Middle
East conflict.
Abdullah’s
peace initiative, which offers full recognition of Israel in return
for withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967 and the creation
of a Palestinian state, was endorsed by last month's Arab summit in
Beirut. The Arab peace plan was met by Israel's deadly offensive in
the West Bank.
"The
crown prince and I established a strong personal bond," said
Bush. "I am convinced that the stronger our personal bond is, the
more likely it is relations between our countries will be
strong."
Saudi
officials did not speak to reporters after the meeting, which was just
the third time Bush welcomed a world leader to his beloved
"Prairie Chapel" ranch -- of which the prince got a grand
tour.
But
they said earlier that the Gulf state's de facto ruler would plainly
warn Bush that his support for Israel is costing the United States
dearly in terms of backing from the Arab world.
"Allowing
the problem to spiral out of control will have grave consequences for
the United States and its interests," Adel al-Jubeir, the crown
prince's diplomatic advisor, told reporters in Washington, AFP said.
"There
is a lot of anger at the U.S. in the Arab and Muslim world at what is
perceived as either support or lack of restraining [far-right Israeli
Prime Minister] Mr [Ariel] Sharon," said Al-Jubeir. "The
crown prince wanted to make sure that the president was aware of
this."
Bush
and the crown prince also discussed Iraq, with the U.S. leader
insisting the 11-year-sanctions-hit Arab state poses a threat to the
region. Al-Jubeir earlier said the issue must be resolved by the
United Nations.
According
to well-placed Saudi sources quoted in The New York Times, the Saudi
royal family has been talking about cutting oil exports to the United
States to pressure Washington on a fair Middle East role.
The
British daily newspaper The Independent reported that Saudi Arabia’s
disappointment in the U.S. Middle East role was reflected in the
language of a senior unnamed Saudi representative, who warned in The
New York Times that if the worst came to the worst, Riyadh and other
Arab states might use the "oil weapon" against Washington
and demand the closure of U.S. military bases in the region.
This
would be a "strategic debacle", declared the Saudi official,
described as being "familiar with the Crown Prince's
thinking". Saudi Arabia's rejection of Iraq's call for an oil
embargo was based on certain assumptions, he said. "But if you
change the assumptions, all bets are off ... because there come
desperate times when you give the unthinkable a chance."
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| The
U.S. pro-Israel stance “will have grave consequences for the
United States and its interests,” said Adel Al-Jubeir,
Prince Abdullah's diplomatic advisor.
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But
Al-Jubeir denied the story, saying it "doesn't reflect the views
of the crown prince." A White House official said that Riyadh has
vowed to boost production to make up for any shortfall due to Iraq's
cutbacks, AFP said.
No
joint appearance by the President and the Crown Prince was planned
after the meeting, the Independent reported. U.S. officials can
imagine nothing worse than Bush being forced into a public
disagreement with Abdullah, who is known for speaking his mind.
The
meeting is being minutely watched in the Arab world, including Egypt,
the other key U.S. ally in the region. The summit “will reveal
American stances, and clarify a lot of issues,” Egypt's foreign
minister, Ahmed Maher, said. "It will be the basis for the Arabs'
future steps."
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