JEDDAH, 7 September — Saudi Ambassador to Canada Dr. Mohammed Raja Al-Husseini has expressed disappointment at Ottawa’s decision to nullify the special status given to Saudis to enter Canada without a visa.
Speaking to Arab News by telephone, the ambassador alleged that the Canadian Ministry of Immigration might have taken the decision under US pressure. “The Canadian government has been under pressure over the past months,” he pointed out, adding that he appreciated Ottawa’s resistance. The Canadian ministry said on Thursday that it took the decision for security reasons, saying “Saudi passports are liable to misuse and could be targeted by those who wanted to enter Canada illegally.”
But Husseini retorted saying the same applied to Canadian passports. “I strongly reject the accusation that Saudi passports are prone to misuse,” he added.
“There is no passport which is protected against misuse. There are several passports in the world, including Canadian passports, which are liable to misuse,” the ambassador said.
In 1997, the Jordanian government disclosed that Mossad agents involved in the aborted assassination of Khaled Mishaal, head of the political office of the Hamas movement, were carrying Canadian passports. At that time, the Canadian government had stated that its passports had been stolen and forged by Israeli agents.
Husseini highlighted the strong relations between the two countries based on mutual interests. In this respect, he referred to the recent invitation sent by Prime Minister Jean Cheretien to Prince Abdullah, the regent, to visit Canada. “Saudis who visited Canada for studies and tourism have not involved in any crime or violated any immigration rules of the country,” he added.
In a related development, a number of Saudis have been turned back from Canadian airports in recent months, saying that they were unwelcome.
Saudi-Canadian relations hit snags in early 2000 as a result of Canadian accusations against Saudi government over the arrest of William Simpson, who was accused of taking part in the bomb blasts in Riyadh. Simpson was one of five Westerners arrested in connection with the blasts. Canadian Foreign Minister John Manley then claimed that Simpson was tortured in Saudi jails. The Kingdom strongly denied the allegations.
