JEDDAH, 11 August — The US Embassy in Riyadh stresses "both privately and publicly" the extent to which the Kingdom is assisting Washington in the war on terrorism, Ambassador Robert W. Jordan said here yesterday.
Ambassador Jordan was speaking to members of the staff of Saudi Research and Publishing Company while visiting its offices for an informal discussion. The ambassador touched on a number of subjects ranging from US-Saudi relations to current problems facing corporate America.
Outlining the US embassy’s role in clearing some of America’s misconceptions about Saudi Arabia, he said that the embassy was at pains to stress, "both privately and publicly, the extent to which Saudi Arabia has been assisting us in the war on terrorism, the sharing of intelligence, the shutting down of terrorist organizations and following the trail of terrorist financing".
Ambassador Jordan also commented on last Tuesday’s Washington Post report from a defense think tank suggestion that the United States "target" Saudi oilfields and financial assets if the Kingdom doesn’t do more to fight terrorism.
"I would be hesitant to give too much credit to this recent briefing. It is very significant that the president, secretary of state and defense secreaty have stated that this person’s individual ‘musings’ did not reflect US policy. It is also important to point out that the Rand Corporation has also stated that this person’s opinion did not represent their thinking".
Regarding the current scandals in corporate America, and the fear of their hurting foreign investment, the ambassador was optimistic. "They all had individual characteristics, whether it was aggressive accounting or misconduct unique to those particular companies. But if you think of the thousands of American companies that continue to have very strong fundamentals, it shows that the US is still a good place for the local or international investor.
"Investors should also feel secure in the president’s firm statements that top executives of companies that violate the law will be prosecuted, tried and if convicted could go to jail."
On the forthcoming first anniversary of Sept. 11 and the possibility of new attacks, he said, "We have gone through many special events, from New Year, via the Super Bowl, to anniversaries safely. Many experts are predicting an attack, but I don’t know if it will happen on this date. Our security people will be very careful and will take all possible measures to avoid any tragic repetition.
"On 9/11 we will remember the solidarity of the Saudi people, who were equally the subject of an attack. We will remember how much we have in common, rather than what divides us."
