RIYADH, 17 November 2006 — The Saudi government issued a statement yesterday denying that Interior Minister Prince Naif had spoken to the Kuwaiti daily Al-Anbaa.
Al-Anbaa cited Prince Naif in an article published Tuesday as saying, among other direct quotes, that a border fence between Iraq and Saudi Arabia “was essential to protect the country.”
The Saudi Press Agency quoted an Interior Ministry statement as saying that the minister never spoke to the newspaper and the quotes are a fabrication.
“The publication of this information by Al-Anbaa newspaper, which is erroneous in its content and incorrect in attributing it to the prince, is a breach of the trust of the word and credibility of the press,” SPA quoted the statement as saying. “Therefore, we clarify that the news published by the newspaper, attributing it to Interior Minister Prince Naif, is false.”
