April 30, 2004

KING FAHD, THE CROWN PRINCE AND PRINCE NAIF REVIEW WITH QOREI THE SITUATION IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES. PRINCE ABDULLAH IBN ABDUL AZIZ IN A TELEPHONE CALL WITH AL-ASSAD CONDEMNS THE TERRORIST ACTS IN DAMASCUS. PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL: SAUDI ARABIA ADHERES TO THE ISLAMIC VALUES THAT REJECTS VIOLENCE. PRINCE BANDAR: THE SAUDI SUPPORT TO THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE IS AMONGST THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS FOR THE BIAISED CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE KINGDOM. FRANCE WARNS OF THE ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION IN IRAQ. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz received at his office at Al Yamamah palace in Riyadh the Palestinian Premier Ahmed Qorei. During the audience, Qorei conveyed the greetings of President Yassir Arafat of Palestine to the monarch who, in turn, sent his greetings to Arafat. They also discussed the overall situations at the Arab, Islamic and international arenas, particularly the Palestinian current developments. The audience was attended by a number of princes and officials. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and urged the international community to end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. King Fahd reiterated the Kingdom's support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the Saudi Press Agency said. Qorei earlier met with Crown Prince Abdullah, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard, and discussed the situation in Palestine. The two sides condemned the killings, assassinations and destruction at the hands of Israeli occupation forces. Saudi Arabia re-affirmed its full þsupport for the Palestinian people's right for establishing an independent þPalestinian state on national territories with Jerusalem as the capital of þthis aspired state.þ þ This was re-affirmed during a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister þAhmad Qorei with King Fahd, the Saudi Press Agency said, adding that the talks þdealt with Islamic, Arab, international affairs, especially deteriorated þ conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories and the aggression targeting þ the Palestinian people.þ þ Qorei briefed the monarch about conditions on the Palestinian arena, in þshadow of the dangerous circumstances shrouding the Palestinian cause, as well þas Israel's policy of killings, targeting Palestinian leaders.þ þ The meeting was attended by senior officials from the two sides.þ þQorei, earlier, held talks with the Crown Prince Abdullah and þ þInterior Minister Prince Nayef Ibn Abdul Aziz dealing with the same issues.þ þ The Palestinian premier, who arrived earlier from Cairo as part of an þ Arab tour to brief Arab leaders about the critical conditions in the occupied þterritories namely Israel's threats against Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. þ Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, received the Palestine's Premier Ahmed Qorei and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Nabil Shaath. þ During the meeting, they discussed topics of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Musaed Ibn Mohammed Al-E'ban and Palestine's Ambassador to the Kingdom Mustafa Hashim Al-Sheikh Deeb. þ On the other hand Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal gave a speech titled 'The United States and Saudi Arabia: A relationship threatened by misconceptions' at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on April 27, 2004. þ Following is the text of the speech þ Thank you Mr. Peterson for your kind words. Distinguished members, ladies and gentlemen: þ Thirty years ago, in the fall of 1974, I had the privilege of addressing this forum for the first time. Many things have changed since then ... for one thing this audience seems much younger and regrettably I am much older. However, one thing has not changed, and that is the very important role this Council plays in forging and formulating informed opinion about issues of strategic importance for the United States. þ Saudi Arabia and the United States have enjoyed a well known "special relationship" which, over a period of 70 years had developed and blossomed into a strategic alliance that benefited both countries. Recently this relationship has come under extreme strain. A critical juncture has been reached, and unless joint efforts are brought to bear to redress and rectify the underlying causes, the damage may be grave. It does not take great insight to conclude that the horrendous and terrorist act of 9/11 changed the factors influencing this relationship. A great deal of effort has been expended in analyzing the fatal event; ranging from the cogent and perceptive, to the ridiculous and absurd. The ensuing onslaught on Saudi Arabia has been intense and at times purposefully malicious. I shall concentrate on the major allegations, for there have been many, which are at the core of these attacks. I hope with your patience, and indeed with your collaboration, we can "sit down and reason together", as one American president had said, and sift fact from fiction in order to stop the drift towards alienation and suspicion, and return to the mutual understanding and trust that defined our traditionally healthy relationship. Prior to 9/11, Saudi Arabia was the target of some criticism in the United States and elsewhere. But to what we have faced since 9/11, these criticisms seem tame by comparison. Since then, the attacks became -- to my mind -- irresponsibly vicious. Some of the flavor of these attacks can be gleaned from the titles of books recently published as works of scholarship, such as: 'Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Its Soul for Saudi Crude' 'Inside The Opaque Kingdom' - I don't know what is opaque about Saudi Arabia, which is probably the sunniest place on earth. 'Forbidden Truth: U.S.-Taliban Secret Oil Diplomacy, Saudi Arabia and the Failed Search for bin Laden' '101 Reasons NOT To Murder The Entire Saudi Royal Family' - Although I am gratified for that, I wish that it had been one thousand and one, to keep it within the Arab tradition. 'Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism' Perhaps most absurd of all: 'House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties' Instant so-called experts sprang from nowhere and everywhere, most of whom have never even visited Saudi Arabia, claiming a gift of analysis denied to mere mortals. By using such words as jihad, Wahhabism, madrassa, they endow them with emotively negative contents that surpass the realm of objectivity and defy any sense of reality. Many of the attacks are too absurd to respond to, so with your indulgence I shall restrict my comments to the four following themes: Fifteen of the nineteen attackers came from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's internal social and political makeup results in nurturing extremism, radicalism and breeding zealots and terrorists. Saudi Arabia is not doing enough to introduce fiscal regulations to control the flow of funds to terrorist organizations. Saudi Arabia is not cooperating with the United States and the international community in the war on terrorism. These are at the core of the attacks for what may be termed "Saudi bashing." To respond to the two first allegations, one must look into the phenomenon of al Qaeda and its figurehead, bin Laden. Though a Saudi by birth, he developed his ideology and methodology in Afghanistan, under the tutelage of a radicalized cult of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization I assume everyone here knows. He was not taught his doctrines and creed in Saudi schools, or madrassas, or mosques. If Saudi Arabia is guilty of blame for what he has become, the United States must surely share the blame. Both of us backed the mujahedeen to liberate Afghanistan from Soviet occupation and allowed such people as Bin Laden into the fray. We all remember the days when the word mujahedeen was used in the media of the time to signify the paradigm of the true freedom fighter, when those same mujahedeen were honored, praised, and even received in the White House. No less a super hero than Rambo himself adopted their cause and fought with them side by side. The ideology that bin Laden follows was ingrained in him by this radicalized cult of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is not the teaching of the Wahhabi reform movement or any other school indigenous to Saudi Arabia that was the cause of his metamorphosis. The ideology espoused by al Qaeda can be summarized in its belief in the negation of the legitimacy of all the governments of the Islamic countries, and especially Saudi Arabia, for the purpose of re-establishing the Islamic Caliphate with al Qaeda as its vanguard. The latest version of this plan calls for the destruction of the Saudi state, and from that point on, achieve the union of the Islamic world with bin Laden presumably at the helm and Al Qaeda forming the nucleus of his power. To achieve that objective, they had first to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the United States, and what better tool to utilize than the spectacular criminal act of 9/11 with the major instrument for that act being the fifteen Saudis. Saudi Arabia in fact has its own brand of extremists and zealots, and even some hate-mongers. It is not unique in this; many other countries have their own brand of extremists and hate-mongers. The Saudi state, since the time of King Abdul Aziz, has been at constant conflict with them. This indigenous form of ultra-conservatism was and still is isolationist in nature. Their major concern is to keep Saudi Arabia outside the movement toward modernity, which they perceive as a threat to the moral purity of Islamic society. Their preaching is not the global expansionist ideology of Al Qaeda, but rather an insular isolationist anti-modernity ideology. If we merge the isolationism of the Amish of Pennsylvania and the beliefs of the puritans of the early Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we can perhaps get a flavor of the ideology of these arch-conservatives. This is a crucial distinction that must be made: because the insular extremism of Saudi Arabia's arch-conservatives is being used as evidence for not only the sympathy, but also the collaboration of Saudi Arabia and its society with al Qaeda's aims and objectives. Nothing is further from the truth, as evidenced by the war being waged relentlessly against al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, and the support that the society is giving the government's efforts to rid the country of these evildoers. Even the extremist religious elements within the country that are against modernity completely reject al Qaeda's ideology and methodology. Seen in this perspective, it is not hard to understand the reasons why bin Laden and his cohorts chose Saudis to perpetrate their heinous act in the United States. What is not understood is why the detractors of Saudi Arabia keep hammering on the fact that 15 of the perpetrators were Saudis, as if that fact alone makes a nation of 16 million liable and accountable for the act. It is ironic to note here that those who most vociferously attack Saudi Arabia are unwittingly serving the purposes of al Qaeda and the ideology it represents. More ominously, their attacks, if anything, will undermine the country that is waging total war against them, and that is probably the country most capable of preventing them from spreading their cultist ideology in the Islamic world. It is the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia that in fact is proving to be the body most qualified to de-legitimatize al Qaeda's claims, the very religious community that is being attacked and discredited. As a further adjunct to the damage that these attacks are inflicting, they provide cogent proof to the conservative elements of Saudi Arabia to entrench their opposition against reform. They see and interpret these attacks, not as the erroneous and misguided reactions to the tragedy of 9/11, but as a purposeful intent to undermine the social fabrics of Saudi society. The media, the instant experts, and even some respected think tanks and political figures have done a great deal of damage to my country in the eyes of the American public. These attacks presumably are aimed to force a reluctant Saudi Arabian government towards reforms. They are accomplishing exactly the opposite and making the government's task of reform much more difficult. Lest anyone misconstrue, let me affirm here, with as strong a conviction as I can make, that the leadership in Saudi Arabia remain steadfast in their effort to push their program for reform. For us reform is an absolute requisite for the advancement of the country and its people regardless where the opposition is coming from or from where the external pressure is being applied. Reforms must emanate from within, the purpose of which is to insure the welfare of the people by providing good governance and equality in the eyes of the law for all citizens. It is not a mere slogan or a field for risky experimentation. It is an ongoing process where adaptability and continuity are essential. Unlike the mainstream thinking in the West that views Islam, indeed all religion, as the antithesis to progress, for us in Saudi Arabia, Islam which provides its adherents with a sense of community has to play a central role as the binding force that will maintain the unity of the nation and the harmony of its society during this otherwise turbulent period. The other allegation that Saudi Arabia is not doing enough to stem funding to terrorist organizations is simply not true. The new fiscal regulations in force in Saudi Arabia at this time are the most stringent in the world. This was attested to by various United States officials and international organizations. A report by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental body including the members of the G-8, recently concluded that Saudi Arabia now has in place world-class laws and regulations to combat terror financing. According to one official involved in the assessment, the new regulations Saudi Arabia has put in place for Saudi-based charities "probably go further than any country in the world". Those who make the claim that Saudi Arabia is not cooperating in the war against terrorism are surely grossly misinformed. Saudi Arabia itself is a target for the terrorists, as the events of last week amply show. Joint commissions have been formed between various Saudi Arabian and United States agencies to exchange intelligence and actively participate in this continuing war. In a testimony before the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia last month, it was stated that: "The Saudis are a strong ally and are taking unprecedented steps to address an al Qaeda menace that threatens us both." - Ambassador J. Cofer Black of the Department of State. Other members of the administration have warmly praised Saudi cooperation as well. The most frustrating aspect to us Saudis is that even though these facts by now are well-known, some of the media and some of the opinion-makers simply ignore them as if Saudi Arabia serves a persistent need for an Orwellian target to be constantly assailed. As one example, when we approached a leading politician in this country on why he keeps attacking Saudi Arabia on these points of terrorism and the money trail after providing him with all the facts concerning the issues, his answer was "don't pay any attention to what we say these days. This is the silly season, the season of election." I wonder if the esteemed gentleman thought of the impact of his remarks on attitudes towards democracy. Sooner or later both of us will have to abandon recriminations and concentrate on what can be done to retrieve the healthy relationship between our two countries. Saudi Arabians know the United States well. We know America well because tens of thousands of Saudis studied here. Hundreds of thousands of Saudis come here to visit, and the interchange in the business community is quite vigorous. On the other hand, the people of the United States know very little about Saudi Arabia, except that it is that far away place, where men wear skirts, and there is plenty of oil. Perhaps we must take the blame for this lack of knowledge and we are trying to correct that. The country has opened its doors to the world media and they can come and observe for themselves what is going on. The relations of our two countries are too important to allow them to be determined by misconceptions. On the part of the United States I shall hazard to suggest that it should make a review of the stringent requirements for travel to the United States from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, especially for students. This is a very important element in cementing the foundations of the relationship, because these students carry back with them not only the skills they learned, but also the knowledge of the people and the values they represent; these are two essential elements that should be nurtured. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is pervasive to all issues in the Middle East. No, this is not a non-sequitur. Although opinion-makers in the United States hold to the premise that the relations between the United States and the Arab world cannot be based on one issue alone, the other side of the coin is no less true: you could not come to grips with these relations between the United States and the Arab world without tackling the problem of this conflict with some semblance of justice and fairness. If American audiences can see what millions of Arabs see nightly on their television screens, they may come to understand the overwhelming emotional impact this has on the ordinary man and woman in the Middle East. We in the Arab world have come to fully understand that the United States is committed to the security of Israel. But security has become a catchword for the Israelis to avoid the hard decisions needed to make peace. Israel is demanding now to be assured of absolute security before committing to peace. But to quote a distinguished American statesman and thinker, that if, and here I quote : "If only absolute security -- the neutralization of the opponent -- is considered a sufficient guarantee, then the desire of one power for absolute security means absolute insecurity for all the others." The statesman is the Honorable Dr. Henry Kissinger. Because we have adjusted to and accepted the existence of Israel in the Arab world, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abdullah proposed a peace initiative, which was unanimously adopted by the Beirut Arab Summit. The initiative is a realistic peace plan that compliments the Quartet's 'roadmap'. The Arab initiative was refused outright. The roadmap, I believe, was refused by the Israeli government by over-qualifying the acceptance. We should recommit our efforts to the peace process particularly now when the civil societies on both sides of the divide are pressing their public opinion to accept a peaceful settlement. Such an opportunity should not be lost. The challenge for the United States is to come with the proverbial balanced policy towards the peace process. The United States must insure that Israel's actions and policies do not jeopardize the establishment of a viable Palestinian state and the return of the Arab occupied lands. Peace is in the interest of the United States as well as in the interest of stability and security. Surely it is also in the interest of Israel and its citizens. International cooperation is also needed in Iraq. I mention Iraq here so that the subject does not become conspicuous by omission. To do justice to the subject would need more time than is allowed for. I will be happy to answer any questions concerning this issue in the question and answer session. But in order not to tax your patience further I would like to conclude by saying: it is certainly a viable hope to see an end to widespread misinformation between us, to respect each other's history and culture. It is surely appropriate for us to cooperate to bring peace to a region racked by turmoil. The benefits for both of us are enormous. Saudi Arabia, Islam, and Muslims are not the enemy. Injustice and deprivation inflicted upon the Arab and Islamic world are the true breeding ground for terrorism. These are the real enemies. In the struggle against these evils, we must be partners, who, sharing the same objectives, are still able to recognize and allow for diversity. We must not fight the wrong battle; our quarrel is not with each other. Let us join forces instead against the uncivilized, the criminal, and the unjust. Let us resolve to commit ourselves to this fight, and together eradicate not only the scourge of terrorism, but the very conditions that breed it. Thank you again for this opportunity and may God's peace be upon you. Meanwhile Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, met with Samuel Burger, an advisor of the former US President Bill Clinton. They reviewed issues pertaining to Saudi-American relations. Prince Saud arrived in New York on an official visit to US. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, met with members of the editorial staff of the U.S. television network "ABC." During the meeting, Prince Saud answered a number of questions that dealt with Saudi-American relations, the latest developments in Iraq and the Middle East. The meeting took place following a dinner hosted by the television network in honor of Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Prince Saud Al-Faisal gave an interview to Andrea Mitchell that was aired on NBC's 'Today' show on Monday morning, April 26, 2004. The interview covered Iraq, terrorist funding, and oil. Following is the transcript of the interview: MS. MITCHELL: Good morning. The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, says the Saudis were concerned that the U.S. was not sending enough troops to secure Iraq. So before the war, they recommended that the U.S. pay Saddam's army for three months to buy their loyalty rather than make them disband. PRINCE SAUD: We thought a better idea would be to tell the army that any section of it that wants to cooperate with the alliance forces, they would be welcomed, would be a better idea than fighting a war. MS. MITCHELL: What about Bob Woodward's revelation that the White House gave the Saudis two months' warning of the decision to attack Iraq? PRINCE SAUD: It was absolutely normal that they would consult with us on these issues. The thing that I'm shocked about is why these consultations are viewed as something suspicious. MS. MITCHELL: With Saudi Arabia now reeling from suicide bombings, NBC News has learned that the Saudis have asked the U.S. for additional help to combat al Qaeda. (To Prince Saud.) Do you feel that Saudi Arabia was too lax in the past. PRINCE SAUD: We were all too lax. A lot of money was going from this country to al Qaeda. We were all too lax. MS. MITCHELL: Only two years ago, the Saudis raised $92 million for Palestinian suicide bombers. But the foreign minister claims they've now shut down the flow of Saudi money to terrorists. PRINCE SAUD: Now not a penny is going from Saudi Arabia. MS. MITCHELL: You don't think a penny is going from Saudi Arabia to al Qaeda? PRINCE SAUD: I don't think so, because the controls are really very stringent. MS. MITCHELL: You're not funding Hamas? PRINCE SAUD: Absolutely not. MS. MITCHELL: Not funding suicide bombers? PRINCE SAUD: Not funding Hamas or suicide bombers. MS. MITCHELL: And as to allegations in the Woodward book that the Saudis made a deal with the White House to cut oil prices below $28 a barrel in time for the election. PRINCE SAUD: That is a silly notion to have, and it has not happened. MS. MITCHELL: If there was a commitment to keep the price between $22 and $28, why is it so much higher? PRINCE SAUD: Because of supply-and-demand conditions. MS. MITCHELL: But the price of oil still is way higher than $28 a barrel. PRINCE SAUD: Be patient. This is the beginning. It will come down. MS. MITCHELL: Timed for the election? PRINCE SAUD: No, timed for supply and demand. Election is (vote?) between the Democrats or the Republicans. Oil is supply and demand. MS. MITCHELL: The Saudi foreign minister also told us that the Arab world is angry at what they see as a shift in U.S. policy toward Israel. In fact, we have learned that the Saudi leader, Crown Prince Abdullah, has just sent a letter to President Bush complaining about the president's new Middle East policy. On the other hand Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, met with members of the editorial staff of the U.S. television network "ABC." During the meeting, Prince Saud answered a number of questions that dealt with Saudi-American relations, the latest developments in Iraq and the Middle East. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, met with members of the editorial staff of the U.S. Wall Street Journal. During the meeting, Prince Saud answered some questions that dealt with Saudi-American relations, the situation in Iraq and the Middle East situation. Prince Saud Al-faisal, the Foreign Minister, met with the editorial staff of the New York Times newspaper. During the meeting, Prince Saud responded to questions which dealt with a number of topics of concern to the relations between the two countries, the development of the situations in Iraq as well as the Kingdom's efforts in combating terrorism and internal reforms. Prince Saud stressed that the Kingdom is open to the international mass media and welcome them in the Kingdom. The meeting took place following a dinner hosted by the television network in honor of Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Meanwhile Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan denied that ranking members in the Bush administration are critical of Saudi Arabia, and said there is no reason for anyone to be anti-Saudi. Asked specifically about those neo-conservatives, Prince Bandar said: "I can assure you of those people when I meet them they are very friendly and nice with me." Refusing to be drawn in by this line of questioning by program host Chris Mathews on MSNBC's 'Hardball', covering issues of criticism of Saudi Arabia, U.S.-Saudi relations, bin Laden, 9-11, Iraq, and gas prices, Prince Bandar stressed that the U.S.-Saudi relationship remains strong and has been so since the relationship was established with President Roosevelt. It is not a matter of merely good relations between the Bush family and Saudi Arabia, but a matter good U.S.-Saudi relations with every administration. He did concede there is a party running a public relations campaign against Saudi Arabia, but refused to specifically say who the party is. "I think it is not a mystery who. Your audience knows," said Prince Bandar, making clear that it was a reference to the pro-Israel lobby and the hardcore Christian fundamentalist right in the US. Clearly, acknowledged Prince Bandar, some of these irrational attitudes have been generated in the aftermath of 9/11, and it proves that 9/11 planners intended to target not just the United States, but the U.S.-Saudi relationship was well. Bin Laden and his followers know that unless they control Saudi Arabia they cannot dominate the Muslim world, he said. The history of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, observed Prince Bandar, has shown that Saudi Arabia has worked closely with the United States when it counted, even in times when it was not popular, and the United States has done the same for Saudi Arabia. In 1990, the United States deployed a half of million soldiers to help Saudi Arabia confront the security threat posed by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, observed Prince Bandar. That prompted the terrorists to realize that destroying the U.S.-Saudi relationship was crucial to achieve their ends. "They almost succeeded after 9/11 and unfortunately there are some people who are misguided in the body politic in this country and in the media who still don't want to take yes for an answer," said Prince Bandar. "They still talk about the people that I smuggled from this country, while the 9/11 commission just came out and said there was nothing there. They still talk about the charities." The fact is, stressed Prince Bandar, that the perception that everyone in Saudi Arabia hates the United States is just false. Bin Laden has crated a cult that believes that anyone that does not adhere strictly to its worldview is an infidel, including Saudis and many other Muslims. They hate anything that has to do with modernization, but they have made a major mistake in attacking Saudi civilians, he added. Asked about the NY Times report that many Saudis are said to be going to Iraq to fight the Americans, Prince Bandar replied: "Just because the New York Times said it, it doesn't have to be right" and that in his view the report did not reflect the realities in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, made a telephone call to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The Crown Prince condemned the terrorist attack that took place Tuesday evening in Damascus, praying to Allah to preserve Syria's security and stability. The conversation also dealt with the latest developments in the region. On his part, the Syrian President thanked the Crown Prince for his sincere feelings toward Syria. Attackers firing automatic rifles clashed with police in a diplomatic quarter of the Syrian capital yesterday, witnesses said. Syrian state media said security forces confronted a "terrorist band." At least one attacker was killed and another captured, according to initial reports. Syrian television, in a brief statement, said security forces gave chase and were in control of the situation. It gave no other details. Syria's official news agency SANA, quoting a security source, said "a terrorist band shot this evening indiscriminately in the Mazza area." Late into the evening, smoke was seen billowing from Mazza and ambulances and police cars rushed to the area, which had been sealed off by security forces. Witnesses, who said the violence started about 7.20 p.m. and lasted 70 minutes, gave different reports that could not immediately be reconciled. The attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a building, which was once used by the United Nations, close to Canadian, British and Iranian embassies. Syrian security forces killed two terrorists and wounded two others in a shootout after the group detonated a car bomb in the diplomatic quarter of Damascus, the state-run news agency, SANA, reported. A Syrian policeman and a female bystander were also killed in the clash in the suburb of Mazza, SANA quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying. Syrian television later said security forces had raided a building in Mazza used by the group and had found a cache of arms and explosives. The ministry official told SANA that the clash between security forces and the terrorists in the well-guarded diplomatic quarter erupted after the car bomb exploded, badly damaging an uninhabited building that formerly housed U.N. offices and setting fire to it. "Group members hid in a car and threw hand grenades at security forces," SANA quoted the official as saying. Security forces surrounded the car, and sounds of the ensuing gun battle echoed through the streets of the capital. In Iraq U.S. warplanes and artillery attacked Sunni insurgents holed up in a slum in a thunderous show of force that rocked Fallujah, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the night sky. The assault came after American troops killed 64 gunmen near the southern city of Najaf. An American soldier died Tuesday in Baghdad, raising the U.S. death toll for April to 115. The second straight night of battles in Fallujah came as the extension of a fragile cease-fire ended last Tuesday in the turbulent city west of Baghdad. U.S. Marines have been preparing to begin patrols in the city later in the week. French President Jacques Chirac from his side called for a swift and genuine return of sovereignty to Iraq within a framework set out by the United Nations. His comments came after Secretary of State Colin Powell said earlier this week an interim Iraqi government due to take power on June 30 would have to give up some of its sovereignty to allow a free hand to U.S.-led armed forces. "It is urgent today to return sovereignty to the Iraqis," Chirac told a wide-ranging news conference at his Elysee Palace on the European Union and other issues. "There is no possible solution that would lead to the reconstruction of Iraq without a genuine transfer of sovereignty under the effective control of the United Nations," he added. "What would be disastrous would be a compromise solution based on an ambiguity along the lines of: 'Right, the United Nations you go and stand up the front' but in fact nothing has changed and the coalition is really still in charge," he said. Such a result would not mend the "deep resentment" felt by many Iraqis at the current situation there, he said. On the other hand United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Iraq's caretaker government must be chosen by the end of May so it can properly prepare to take power a month later and reach a new agreement with U.S.-led forces that will remain in control of security, the U.N. envoy for Iraq said. Lakhdar Brahimi told the U.N. Security Council that many obstacles to the hand-over remain, but it can be done _ even in the face of violence that has killed hundreds of Iraqis and dozens of coalition troops in recent weeks. "The sooner a credible Iraqi government is in place to lead the way, the better, especially because the absence of such a sovereign government is part of the problem in the first place," Brahimi told council diplomats. Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi Foreign Minister, met with United Nations Special Envoy to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi. During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the progress made by the UN to form the next Iraqi government which, will take over from the provisional one at the end of June. Meanwhile U.S. soldiers rolled into a base in the Shiite holy city of Najaf on Monday to replace withdrawing Spanish troops. The base is about six kilometers (three miles) from the Shiite holy shrines at Najaf's heart, which the U.S. military has vowed to stay far from to avoid outraging Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims. But the move deploys U.S. troops within the Najaf urban area for the first time since a large force massed outside the city earlier this month to put down the Al-Mahdi Army militia of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. About 200 troops and Military Police rolled into the base last Monday morning, in part to prevent the site from falling into the militia's hands after Spanish troops withdraw. Overnight, al-Sadr's forces shelled the base with 21 mortars, wounding at least one Salvadoran soldier, said Col. Paul White, commander of the U.S. 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, which moved into the base. Also US President George W Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed efforts to craft a new UN resolution to cover Iraq's shift to self-rule, the White House said. The two leaders also discussed the ailing 'road-map' to Middle East peace, as well as the May 4 meeting of the international quartet of sponsors behind that stalled plan, Bush spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. The road map -- sponsored by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia -- calls for the eventual creation of an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel. Bush and Putin also discussed the situation in Georgia as well as their plans to see each other at the commemoration of the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings in France, said the spokesman. On the other hand the French Minister of Defence said the current Middle East crisis could not be solved through assassinating leaders and individuals, said Michele Elliot-Marie, French defence minister. She was replying to a question on France's stand regarding the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's threats to assassinate Yasser Arafat, president of Palestinian National Authority. "We believe that the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis is one of the important causes of instability in the region and terrorism and we reiterate that the roadmap is a good solution which should be implemented as the problem could not be solved through assassinating persons," she said. On the situation in Iraq and France's stance on the date for delivering power to Iraqis, she said, France is keen that sovereignty is returned to Iraqis on June 30. "We have always said that nothing could be achieved without transferring sovereignty to Iraqis and responsibility to the UN," she said, adding that France is prepared to participate in reconstructing Iraq if circumstances allow and the Iraqi authorities requested so. Addressing a press conference at Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Oman, she praised the progress witnessed by the Sultanate during the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Omani-French relations are strong, she said, adding that these relations witnessed considerable development and expressed her delight with the existing bilateral military cooperation. She noted that her visit to the Sultanate is meant to further develop cooperation and friendship relations between the two countries, saying that during her first visit to Oman last year, she discussed with officials here the potentials available to promote cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the field of defence. She added during her current visit they assessed what has been achieved so far. She referred to increasing bilateral cooperation in three main areas including visits exchanged among ministers and chiefs of staff, saying that the staff authority held a meeting in Paris and that it would hold a meeting in Muscat during November. "In the light of the worrying situation witnessed by the region for several months, we believe that it is vitally important to exchange views frankly which is possible thanks to the trust and friendship binding the two countries and their leaders," she said. She noted that the second area for bilateral cooperation is joint exercises and that the third area is communications between military officials in both the countries. She said her talks with officials in the Sultanate dealt with the current international situation particularly French concern with the deterioration in Iraq and terrorism. She said the two countries held close views on these issues, hoping that the international community would play a major role through the United Nations to enable peoples of the region to live in stability and peace. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has received a message from Jacques Chirac, president of the Republic of France, dealing with the sound bilateral relations and aspects of existing cooperation in various fields in the interest of the Omani and French peoples. The message also touched on a number of regional and international matters of common concern. The message was delivered to Sultan Qaboos when he received Michele Elliot-Marie, defence minister of the Republic of France, at his Majesty's office in Bait Al Barakah. The audience was attended by Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Hareb Al Busaidi, minister responsible for defence affairs, and members of the delegation accompanying the French minister. France wants to boost military cooperation with Oman, Defence Minister Michele Elliot-Marie said during a 48-hour stay in the Sultanate of Oman. "This visit is an opportunity to strengthen links," she told a press conference, referring to more ministerial visits and port calls by French warships. A chief-of staff committee has also been set up and will meet in Muscat in November following the inaugural session in Paris. French frigates La Motte-Piquet and Guepratte, taking part in international anti-terrorist patrols in the Arabian Sea, were docked in the Omani capital last Saturday. Oman, which has close ties with the British army, recently appointed a defence attache to Paris and has sent senior officers to France for training. France has also sent a top officer to Oman for the first time to learn Arabic. "Even if the scale of cooperation and exchange is limited, it is growing steadily," Elliot-Marie noted. France is negotiating the sale of some 20 NH90 helicopters as well as civilian helicopters for the sultan's fleet, but Alliot-Marie said she had not come to sign contracts. The minister met with Sultan Qaboos bin Said before continuing a regional tour to the United Arab Emirates and Jordan after arriving in Qatar. According to prominent French sources Sultan Qaboos called said that all forms and types of terrorism, and from whatever source, is an aggression against peace which mankind cherishes. The Omani Leader said we are working with all nations to solidify international stability and security, and upon this conviction we condemn and reject terrorism, as we have always done throughout our blessed renaissance. Sultan Qaboos also expressed worries about the situation in Iraq. Sultan Qaboos bin Said conferred with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah at Bait Al Barakah. A statement after the talks said they discussed the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Iraq, bilateral relations and the GCC march. Also last Sunday, Sultan Qaboos received Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa who briefed the Omani Ruler on preparations to hold an Arab summit in Tunisia next month and the outcome of his consultations with leaders of other Arab countries. They also discussed the situation in the region and latest Arab and international developments.