NEW YORK, 21 September — Saudi Arabia has expressed hope that the United States will reciprocate positively to the recent Iraqi decision that allows unconditional return of UN weapons inspectors, to avert a military confrontation between the two countries.
"We hope that it (the Iraqi decision) will lead to a reciprocal positive step," Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said in his address to the 57th session of the UN General Assembly. The speech was delivered on his behalf by Fawzi Shubokshi, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the United Nations.
The Kingdom urged the international community to exert all possible efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to the Iraq issue to avoid another devastating war in the region. "The world has suffered a lot from great destruction and human misery during the last century, which was characterized by murderous confrontations, hate and violence," the prince said.
"The peace and stability of humanity in a world of intertwined dependencies and common interests is contingent upon the convictions of the international community to forsake wars and renounce violence and settle disputes by peaceful means," he said and called for the promotion of the culture of peace and dialogue.
"The Kingdom looks forward to a 21st century governed by the rule of law not by brutal might, a century of true pluralism in which everyone will participate in managing the affairs of the present and create the future instead of excluding and ignoring others. We look forward to a year in which moral values that govern human behavior will prevail, and the banners of justice, mercy and brotherhood between peoples will be raised in order to achieve security, stability and peace for all humanity," Prince Saud said.
In his address, Prince Saud reiterated the Kingdom’s resolve to fight all forms of terrorism and emphasized the need for international cooperation to track down terrorist organizations and eradicate terrorism.
"The international effort against terrorism, regardless of how effective it is, will not be able to totally eradicate this phenomenon unless it gets to its underlying causes, including political, economic and social circumstances that constitute fertile grounds that breed terrorism," he explained.
"The decision to eradicate terrorism should not involve hesitation or vacillation. If our true objective is to eradicate the possibility of its rise again, then attention must be paid to the political, economic and social conditions. Because they constitute, in many instances, the breeding ground for extremism, especially when these conditions reach serious levels with no possibility for peaceful change," the prince said.
In his address, Prince Saud also called for expediting efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state, saying it is the only way to bring about peace in the Middle East. "Thirty-five long years have passed since the Palestinian people came under Israeli occupation. The cycle of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories will never diminish unless the legitimate rights of the Palestinians are achieved," he said.
"The policy of siege, starvation, and military incursions, as well as the destruction of property and the desecration of holy places in the occupied territories, is in total contravention, not only of signed agreements, bust also of international law and humanitarian norms," he said.
"The government of Ariel Sharon is marginalizing the Palestinian Authority established under the Oslo Accords, isolating the Palestinian territories and destroying the infrastructure. In addition, Sharon has lately undertaken a policy of not only imprisoning, but also assassinating members of the Palestinian leadership.
"The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories is now at a point that will undoubtedly lead to a human catastrophe as a result of the economic siege, the unchecked spread of disease and epidemics, and the near collapse of the public health and security forces."
Prince Saud told the Israelis that Sharon would not be able to bring peace to them because of the policies of his government, which chose to ignore dialogue and negotiations and opted for oppression and violence as a means of solving the Palestinian problem.
"It is our view that an independent Palestinian State, based on a constitution binding on all Palestinians, and specifying the basis governing their relations with Israel, will ultimately constitute a guarantee, not only to the Palestinians, but to the Israelis themselves," the prince said.
"The Israeli side will have the assurances of dealing with a legitimate state, and a national authority, capable of carrying out meaningful negotiations with a neighboring state. To achieve this goal, it is necessary for the international community to move in the direction of halting the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the Palestinian people. "There is also a dire need to halt the violence raging in the area. This clearly means that the international community must hold the Israeli government to the same level of security obligations that is required of the Palestinian Authority.
"To confine security obligations to the Palestinian side alone is neither practical nor a means to solving the problem. It is incumbent on all of us to work together to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians and then proceed to take necessary steps to put the Palestinian problems on the road to the desired settlement," he said.
Prince Saud highlighted the significance of the Arab peace initiative at the Beirut Summit to achieve a just and permanent peace in the Middle East. "This initiative enjoys unanimous Arab support, and for the first time, represents a concrete proposal based on resolutions of international legitimacy, which can lead to the signing of a peace treaty, through which a total Israeli withdrawal will be achieved in return for normal relations with Arabs."
Prince Saud expressed his deep condolences and profound sorrow on the death of about 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. He described the attacks as "a most despicable act of terrorism."
Prince Saud said the Saudi youths who had been involved in the suicide attacks had committed a grave offense against their country and religion. "It was indeed most painful for us to see a number of our young people, who were in a position to contribute beneficially to the development of their own country, fall victim to those that led them astray, as they embarked on a road that ended tragically. These young men committed a grave offense against their country, and against their religion, which totally and utterly forbids the crime they committed," he said.
In this respect, Prince Saud quoted a message sent by Prince Abdullah, the regent, to US President George W. Bush in which the regent said the Saudi youths allowed themselves to be used as a tool to do great damage to Islam, a religion they espoused, and to all Muslims. "They also aimed at causing considerable harm to the historic and strong relationship between the American people and the people of Saudi Arabia," he quoted Prince Abdullah.
"I would like to make it clear that true Muslims all over the world will never allow a minority of deviant extremists to speak in the name of Islam and distort its spirit of tolerance... We, like you, are convinced that nothing can ever justify the shedding of innocent blood or the taking of lives and the terrorizing of people, regardless of whatever cause or motive. Therefore, we do not simply reiterate sincere and true condolences to the relatives of the victims, but assure all of our continued will and determination to do our utmost to combat this malignant evil and uproot it from our world," Prince Abdullah said in his message.
Prince Saud said the Kingdom was always in the vanguard of the fight against terror. "Saudi Arabia has enacted regulations that mete out punishment to the perpetrators of terrorist acts. It has also made the fight against terrorism part of the basic school curricula," he pointed out.
"Saudi Arabia reaffirms its support of all Security Council Resolutions related to the question of terrorism, and has cooperated with the international community in implementing these resolutions with the aim of combating it. "Moreover, Saudi Arabia has taken the necessary steps to close any gaps in the regulations pertaining to donations to charitable organizations that may be exploited for illegal purposes.
"The appropriate authorities in Saudi Arabia have taken actions to implement Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001). Moreover, the government of Saudi Arabia has lent its support to every international effort, within the framework of the Security Council, to crack down on terrorism by all means approved by other states."
