RIYADH, 2 December 2005 — A congressional delegation arrived in Riyadh for 24 hours yesterday as part of a seven-nation tour including visits that started in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, and will be continued by further meetings in Kuwait, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.
Headed by Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and including Democratic Sen. Tom Carper and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, the three-person delegation met with Custodian of the Two Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal yesterday to discuss various local and regional issues.
In his introduction to yesterday’s press conference held at the US Embassy in the Diplomatic Quarters of Riyadh, Sen. Hagel apprised journalists that the purpose of this trip was primarily to “come, listen, and leave with a better understanding of issues that confront the world.”
He also claimed that the Americans have “many friends” here and “value the relationship that they have with the people of the Middle East.”
Sen. Carper pointed to the “important relationship” that Saudi Arabia and America have “shared for decades” and highlighted the fact that although there were many Arabs and Americans alike who “were not comfortable” about how they were led into the war on Iraq, the important point was to recognize that “we’re there” and to hope that elections at the end of the month will lead to a stable government as no one was interested in the outbreak of a civil war that could lead to a regional war and the prospect of the area being turned into a hotbed for terrorism.
Sen. Hagel commented on the “rich tradition and deep history” that the two countries shared and commended the Saudi government for being one of only two countries to “come through” vis-à-vis its pledge to support the Palestinian Authority in terms of reforms and its efforts toward forming a more democratic form of government.
Even though the senator was the first Republican to oppose the continuation of the war in Iraq, upon being asked about his reaction toward George W. Bush’s speech made on Wednesday reiterating US commitment toward remaining in the war-torn country until victory was achieved, Sen. Hagel threw his full support behind the US president.
Claiming not to have heard the speech, he said: “I think it was important for the president to lay out the strategy for the American people in a more comprehensive review” and that “in the end the Iraqi people will determine the outcome of Iraq.”
Fielding the sensitive question about why it was that in spite of being full of praise for Saudi Arabia during their visits, Congress members often seized the opportunity to insult the country and its policies when they returned, Sen. Hagel responded that much of this disparity was due to misinformation about the region.
“That is why these visits are so important as they encourage members of Congress to understand this region. The US should not, cannot and will not impose its standards on any other nation,” he assured.
Sen. Carper likened these differences to those experienced by those who share strong bonds saying, “Friends can disagree agreeably.”
Members of the delegation were vociferously unanimous in their support of Saudi Arabia joining the WTO. Rep. Tauscher, for whom this is the second visit to the Kingdom and who is an advocate for businesses in the state of California, said that she personally was “very supportive” of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the organization.
This was corroborated by Sen. Carper who said: “Only good can come out of a strong economic relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. This will improve the quality of life for people here and maybe increase the political freedoms which grow out of economic freedoms.”
