RIYADH/WASHINGTON, 4 October — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, held talks here yesterday with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on major international developments.
Rumsfeld, who is on tour of the Middle East to mobilize support for a US military campaign against terrorism, told reporters earlier that he would not raise the issue of US military access to Saudi bases during the visit, which will also take him to Oman, Egypt and Uzbekistan. The talks at Al-Yamamah Palace were attended by Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, Prince Nawaf, director of intelligence, Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, assistant defense and aviation minister for military affairs, and other top officials. “The talks focused on a number of global issues,” SPA said. Sources said that Rumsfeld did not request during the talks with the Saudi leaders the use of Saudi air bases but rather limited himself to requesting more cooperation in the field of information on terrorism.
Crown Prince Abdullah welcomed Tuesday’s statement by US President George W. Bush pledging Washington’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. “This US step will have a positive effect on the security and stability of the Middle East,” the Saudi leader told the SPA agency. “We in the Kingdom appreciate this move by your excellency to establish just and comprehensive peace in the region. We will make all possible efforts to push the peace process to establish security and stability in the region and the worldover,” he added.
Prince Sultan said the US will not target any Arab country in its anti-terror campaign. “We are sure that the US will not undertake such an action,” he said when asked if Riyadh had obtained any assurance that Washington would not attack an Arab country.
Rumsfled informed Saudi leaders of evidences the United States have on Osama Bin Laden’s involvement in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He also told them that Washington intends to proceed “on all fronts” in its campaign against terrorism. He said he briefed King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah on President Bush’s strong conviction of the need for a long-term effort against the terrorist networks.
Asked whether they discussed possible military action, Rumsfeld said, “Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind that that too will be a part of that process in some way.” The defense secretary said Washington recognized and respected the sensitivities of its Saudi allies, who have been reluctant to allow their bases and military facilities to be used for offensive military operations.
He said they had discussed means of dealing with the terrorism problem in ways that would prevent “secondary effects,” an apparent reference to concerns that military action could produce a destabilizing backlash in the region. He stressed that the US and Saudi Arabia have a “solid relationship.”
