JEDDAH, 24 January 2003 — The Saudi Embassy in Washington has hired lawyers specialized in immigration law to help Saudi students to register in the United States as required by the Justice Department.
US authorities have asked citizens of some countries, including Saudis, who live in the country to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service under a new anti-terror regulation. The deadline for Saudi nationals to register is Feb. 21.
Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, Saudi ambassador in Washington, has issued guidelines for the lawyers to help the students complete the registration process without difficulties, said Dr. Miyzed Ibrahim Al-Mizyed, cultural attaché at the embassy.
The embassy provided the students with the names and addresses of lawyers who may be contacted for help in the process and said the arrangement covers both Saudi students on government scholarships as well as others who are on their own.
The embassy is giving guidelines to the students through e-mail and regular mail on the registration process and its requirements.
The effort involved student clubs throughout the United States as well as members of a special follow-up committee set up after Sept. 11, 2001.
The students are also provided with the names and telephone numbers of the committee members in case they have any questions.
Earlier this month the embassy held a meeting of some 200 students and a number of lawyers in the Greater Washington area to discuss the issue. Similar meetings are being held in other parts of the country.
Optimistic about peace prospects
Prince Bandar, meanwhile, said that the Middle East conflict is a matter of great concern for Saudi Arabia and the region, the AFP news agency reported. He expressed hope that progress could be made toward Middle East peace following Israel’s Jan. 28 elections.
“I, being the ultimate optimist, feel that maybe after the 28th of this month ... any government (that) comes now in Israel will understand that there are two constants in the Middle East that cannot be changed,” Prince Bandar said, addressing the US Conference of Mayors meeting here.
First, “there is never going to be a solution that will satisfy the Palestinians if there is no guarantee for the Israeli people’s security.”
And second, “there will never be security for the Israeli people if there is no satisfaction for the national aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
Prince Bandar stressed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a matter of “paramount importance” for Saudi Arabia and the region, and noted that the international community is eager to find an end to the parties’ suffering and eliminate the “high price” civilians on both sides are paying.
But he said that, “unfortunately, there are enemies of peace on both sides on the ground.”
“Every time we get closer to closing the gap, ... we get either terrorist attacks or overwhelming attacks by the Israelis,” he lamented.
Prince Bandar said he was optimistic that March and April would be “good months” for the Middle East peace process, given proposals put forward by Riyadh and Washington, as well as the UN-supported international “roadmap” for peace which envisions the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.
“Our American friends have to be patient and supportive and give us a chance to work it out between us. I am confident that this will happen,” he declared.
