25 April 2002
Bush Says He and Crown Prince Abdallah "Share A Vision"
(Says meeting established a "strong personal bond") (1590)
President Bush, following his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah,
said the two had a "cordial meeting" and had established a "strong
personal bond."
Speaking to reporters at his ranch in Crawford, Texas April 25, Bush
said the United States was interested in the prince's advice and
counsel. "We share a vision," he said. Bush called the Crown Prince's
recent proposal for a Middle East settlement "a breakthrough moment."
"He's a man with enormous influence in the Middle East. I respect that
a lot. And I'm confident we can work together to achieve a peace,"
said Bush.
In "plain and straightforward terms," Bush said he told the Saudi
leader that Israel must finish its withdrawal from Palestinian areas,
and the Palestinian Authority must "clamp down" on terror.
"He also knows that I will work for peace, I will bring parties
along," said Bush. "But he -- I think he recognizes that America can't
do it alone, that it's going to require a unified effort. And one of
the main things about this visit was to solidify that effort."
Responding to a question, Bush said "Saudi Arabia made it clear, and
has made it clear publicly, that they will not use oil as a weapon" in
the Middle East dispute.
Following is a transcript of President Bush's remarks following his
meeting with Crown Prince Abdallah:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary (Crawford, Texas)
April 25, 2002
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AFTER MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE OF SAUDI
ARABIA
Bush Ranch Crawford, Texas
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I was honored to welcome Crown Prince
Abdallah to my ranch, a place that is very special for me, and a place
where I welcome special guests to our country. The Crown Prince and I
had a very cordial meeting that confirmed the strong relationship
between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.
Our partnership is important to both our nations. And it is important
to the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East and the world.
We discussed the critical importance of the war on terror. Much of our
discussion centered on the Middle East, and how to defuse the current
situation so we can get back on the path to peace.
Our two nations share a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine,
living side by side in peace and security. I reiterated that all
parties have responsibilities to help achieve that vision. The
Palestinian Authority must do more to stop terror. Israel must finish
its withdrawal, including resolution of standoff -- standoffs in
Ramallah and Bethelem, in a non-violent way.
We discussed the need for Arab states to condemn terror, to stop
incitement of violence, and as part of a long-term peace, to accept
Israel as a nation and a neighbor. We also agreed the world must join
in offering humanitarian aid to the many innocent Palestinians who are
suffering.
I told the Crown Prince how much I appreciate his vision for a
peaceful and integrated Middle East, and how I appreciated his
leadership in helping rally the Arab world toward that vision. I also
appreciated the Crown Prince's assurance that Saudi Arabia condemns
terror.
The Crown Prince is going to be in America for several more days, and
officials from both our governments will be continuing our discussions
with the hope that our efforts can help return us to the path of peace
-- a lasting peace.
I'll answer a couple of questions. Sondra.
Q: Mr. President, Saudi officials have taken strong issue with your
characterization of Prime Minister Sharon as a man of peace, and say
that your tolerance of what he's doing risks damage to U.S.-Arab
relations. Were you and the Crown Prince able to bridge differences
over that issue, and find ways to fix the fragile Arab support?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, one of the really positive things
out of this meeting was the fact that the Crown Prince and I
established a strong personal bond. We spent a lot of time alone,
discussing our respective visions, talking about our families. I was
most interested in learning about how he thought about things. I'm
convinced that the stronger our personal bond is, the more likely it
is relations between our country will be strong.
I made it clear to him that I expected Israel to withdraw, just like
I've made it clear to Israel. And we expect them to be finished. He
knows my position. He also knows that I will work for peace, I will
bring parties along. But I think he recognizes that America can't do
it alone, that it's going to require a unified effort. And one of the
main things about this visit was to solidify that effort.
He's a man with enormous influence in the Middle East. I respect that
a lot, and I'm confident we can work together to achieve a peace.
Patsy.
Q: Mr. President, the Crown Prince raised the prospect of Saudi
support for Iraq's oil embargo, and are you concerned that Arab
nations might use oil as a -- try to use oil as a bargaining chip in
the Middle East crisis?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Saudi Arabia made it clear, and has made it clear
publicly, that they will not use oil as a weapon. And I appreciate
that, respect that, and expect that to be the case.
Q: Mr. President, to follow on what Sondra asked you, do you feel like
you made some personal headway in meeting with the Prince today in
reassuring him of the United States belief that all parties in the
region must work harder to --
THE PRESIDENT: I --
Q: -- do you feel like -- do you feel like you need to convey this
message perhaps in a stronger way by sending somebody to the region to
meet with other Arab leaders who are raising concerns along these
lines?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, Stretch, we just sent somebody to the region. And
that somebody has just returned from the region. And his name is Colin
Powell. And we're exploring all options. A lot of our discussion with
the Saudi delegation was how to get back on the path to peace.
Clearly, there's some things that must be done in the short run --
finish the withdrawal by Israel, for the Palestinian Authority to
clamp down on terror. We discussed that in very plain and
straightforward terms.
As to where we head from now, one of the things that I think is
important for the Crown Prince to have heard is we're interested in
his advice, we're interested in his counsel. We share a vision and I
reminded him how much I appreciated his statement toward Israel. I
thought that was a breakthrough moment. And it -- and then he went and
sold that in Beirut, and I appreciated that, as well.
So there's a shared vision. And as to how to achieve that vision is
something we must consult with our friends. And that's what this
meeting was about. It went on quite a while because there was a lot to
discuss, plus, I want you to know, I had the honor of showing him my
ranch. He's a man who's got a farm and he understands the land, and I
really took great delight in being able to drive him around in a
pickup truck and showing him the trees and my favorite spots. And we
saw a wild turkey, which was good. But we had a very good discussion,
and I'm honored he came to visit.
Last question.
Q: Mr. President, do you believe -- you said that the Crown Prince is
against terror. Do you think he will speak out? Did he make any
promises about speaking out? Should he speak out? And secondarily, in
Saudi Arabia, do you believe the leadership is doing enough to deal
with their own problems with terrorism that comes out of their own
country? Fifteen of the 19 hijackers --
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I -- the Crown Prince has been very strong in
condemning the murder of U.S. citizens. He's been very strong about
condemning those who committed those murders. And I appreciate that a
lot. Right after 9/11, he was one of the strongest voices of
condemnation. He understands how devious Osama bin Laden has been. He
knows that -- that anybody who -- you know, that a strategy by some
would be to split the United States and Saudi Arabia. It's a strong
and important friendship, and he knows that and I know that, and were
not going to let that happen. So he's been very strong in the
condemnation of terror, for which I'm grateful.
And we're constantly working with him and his government on
intelligence-sharing and cutting off money. And we're reminding him on
occasion where we find money flows, and the government has been
acting, and I appreciate that very much. He's got a -- right now we're
working on an issue in the border region with Yemen to make sure that
Yemen doesn't become a haven for al Qaeda killers. And I appreciate
his cooperation on that matter, as well. It's in his interest that we
rout out terror.
Listen, thank you all very much.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
