WASHINGTON, 30 August — Secretary of State Colin Powell has dismissed all talk of a rift in the Saudi-American relations as baseless. In a statement to Arab News here yesterday, America’s top diplomat described the Saudi-American ties as "strong and excellent".
"Our relations with Saudi Arabia are excellent. Recent reports of a deterioration in our ties with Saudi Arabia are not true. I can tell you without any reservation that our relations with Saudi Arabia are both excellent and strong."
"We are in regular contact with our Saudi friends. I am also in constant touch with my colleague Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar ibn Sultan," he added.
Powell referred to the meeting between Prince Bandar and President George W. Bush at his private ranch at Crawford, Texas, to underscore the warmth of the Saudi-US ties. "It is to be noted that President Bush received only four foreign dignitaries at his ranch. Two of them were Saudis — Prince Abdullah, the regent, and Prince Bandar. I believe that this is a strong indication to the respect we have toward Saudi Arabia and also an indication of the strength of relations between the two countries over decades."
Powell also said: "The Saudis are helping us in the war against terror. They have cooperated with us by exchanging information and intelligence with regard to security measures. We know that the Saudis have taken note of the fact that some of the hijackers have come from Saudi Arabia. We should remind the people (Americans) that Saudi Arabia had stripped Osama Bin Laden of his citizenship because of his activities."
"There are several things Saudi Arabia has been doing and we constantly explore with the Saudi leadership new areas of cooperation in the anti-terror campaign and other issues."
Powell, meanwhile, is lobbying his European counterparts regarding US concerns over the International Criminal Court and European concerns over a potential US military strike on Iraq, the State Department said yesterday. Since midday Wednesday, Powell telephoned German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, Jack Straw of Britain, and Ana Palacios of Spain, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to meet today and tomorrow in Denmark to discuss a unified position to US demands for immunity for US personnel from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court.
