WASHINGTON, 21 October 2007 — US President George W. Bush on Friday renewed Saudi Arabia as a key anti-terrorism ally despite concerns over its track record.
The move by the US leader came just weeks after a top US Treasury official sharply criticized the Kingdom’s record on combating terrorism and while the authorities considered a proposal to close down a Saudi-backed school outside Washington for alleged religious intolerance.
“I hereby certify that Saudi Arabia is cooperating with efforts to combat international terrorism and that the proposed assistance will help facilitate that effort,” the president said in a memorandum to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to free up aid from Washington to Riyadh.
