July 29, 2005

SAUDI ARABIA ACCEPTS PRINCE BANDAR IBN SULTAN'S RESIGNATION AND NOMINATES PRINCE TURKI AL-FAISAL AS HIS SUCCESSOR. PRINCE TURKI AL-FAISAL: THERE IS COORDINATION WITH BRITAIN CONCERNING THE SO CALLED SAUDI DISSIDENTS. PRESIDENT BUSH PRAISES THE ROLE PLAYED BY PRINCE BANDAR IBN SULTAN OVER TWENTY YEARS TO ENHANCE SAUDI-AMERICAN RELATIONS. An official source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: "After more than twenty years of distinguished service as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America, wherein His Royal Highness Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz demonstrated exceptional gifts and rendered outstanding services to his King and his country. "His Royal Highness has recently appealed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to relieve him of his duties for private reasons. "And, in appreciation of these reasons, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has graciously agreed to this request. "At the same time, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has issued his orders to start the process of nominating His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal for the post of Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America." Prince Bandar thanked the Saudi leadership for their continued support throughout his long career in Washington. He also thanked the diplomats and other staff who worked with him. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, he congratulated Prince Turki Al-Faisal on his nomination as Saudi ambassador to the US. He said Prince Turki was the right person to take up the post left by him. "He is the right person, in the right place and at the right time," he said. During his 39 years of government service, Prince Bandar had also worked for the armed forces. Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard for their trust in nominating him as Ambassador to the United States of America. Prince Turki thanked King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah for the new appointment. "I am proud of this confidence of the Saudi leadership in me," he said and hoped that he would be able to represent the Kingdom and its interests in the US in the best manner. "I am aware of the great responsibility given the importance of Saudi-US relations," he said and commended Prince Bandar's efforts in strengthening these strategic ties. In a statement, he said he hoped to be successful in the service of religion, his country and his government's interests in the United State, in the same way as he has been during his term of office in Britain . Prince Turki expressed his pleasure over the enhanced relations, which have been always successful, between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Britain, wishing his successor all success. He expressed his appreciation of Prince Bandar's role in strengthening relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. Meanwhile the White House issued the following statement: The President thanks His Royal Highness Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abd al-Aziz Al Saud for his distinguished service as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Bandar has been a tireless advocate for close ties, warm relations, and mutual understanding between the United States and Saudi Arabia for over twenty years. In troubled times U.S. Presidents past and present have relied upon Ambassador Bandar's advice. In good times, they have enjoyed his wit, charm, and humor. Throughout his tenure Ambassador Bandar has remained a close, steadfast friend to the United States. The President bids Ambassador Bandar and his family a fond farewell and wishes them all the best on their return to the Kingdom. US State Department has welcomed the nomination of Prince Turki Al-Faisal as the Saudi ambassador to the US. A spokesman for the US State Department highlighted the distinguished efforts exerted by Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz during his work as the Saudi ambassador to the US, and lauded his significant role in further cementing Saudi-American relations. 'Prince Bandar was a great friend and honest advisor, and he earned the respect of many US State Secretaries and officials of the State Department', said the spokesman. 'Due to his close relations through years with a number of US officials, the performance of Prince Bandar was unique', he added. The spokesperson described the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a close partner of the US, noting that the existing close relations between the Saudi Leadership and Washington constitute an important part of these Saudi-American relations. The spokesperson confirmed that the Saudi-American relations would remain strong. Adam Ereli official spokesman for the State Department said, we at the State Department are saddened by the departure of Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan. He was a great friend and valued advisor, valued confidant of many Secretaries of State, as well as other State Department officials who have worked on behalf of this very important relationship. We would - we also note that the King of Saudi Arabia has announced that it intends to nominate Prince Turki Al-Faisal to succeed Prince Bandar as Ambassador to Washington. We certainly welcome that announcement and look forward to receiving a request for - an official request for agreement in order to begin completing the process of the necessary formalities for that transition to take place. Erlei said every ambassador is unique, Prince Bandar is unique and the relationship with Saudi Arabia is unique. Saudi Arabia is a close and valued partner of the United States. Our strong relations with the leadership of Saudi Arabia are an important part of that relationship and an important element in how the two countries deal with each other. And the new ambassador will fit into that pattern very well, and will be able to help us keep that relationship on the strong and positive path that we are right now. Prince Bandar was born in Saudi Arabia on March 2, 1949, at Taif, the summer capital of the Kingdom, the son of His Royal Highness Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation, and Inspector-General. He is married to Princess Haifa Bint Faisal. He has four sons and four daughters. Prince Bandar was appointed Ambassador to the United States by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud on September 27, 1983. He is currently Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the United States. On August 7, 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Minister. Prince Bandar graduated from the British Royal Air Force College at Cranwell, England, in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). He received pilot training in the United Kingdom and the United States, and has flown numerous fighter aircraft including the JP 3-4, T-38, T-33, F-5, F-53/55, F-102, and the F-15. During his seventeen-year military career he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel, commanded fighter squadrons at three RSAF bases, and undertook program management responsibilities in the major RSAF modernization project Peace Hawk. In addition, Prince Bandar carried out special assignments in Washington, DC, during the debates between the U.S. administration and the Congress concerning the sale to Saudi Arabia of F-15s in 1978 and of AWACs in 1981. In 1982 he was assigned to Washington, DC, as the Kingdom's defense attaché. Prince Bandar completed his post-graduate work in several U.S. military schools including staff courses with the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and with the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair in Washington, DC. He received his master's degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, DC, in 1980. As special envoy for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Prince Bandar was involved in cease-fire negotiations in the Lebanese civil war, and has been instrumental in resolving a number of regional and international crises, such as the Lockerbie incident in 1999. He was the Saudi delegate in the Gulf Cooperation Council mission observing the 1991 Middle East peace talks in Madrid, and has been a regular member of the Kingdom's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly since 1984. Prince Bandar has been awarded many medals and decorations, including the Hawk Flying Medal of Aviation, the King Faisal Medal, and the King Abdul Aziz Sash, as well as honors from other nations. Prince Turki Al Faisal was born on the 15th of February, 1945 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, the eighth and last son of the late Saudi King Faisal. He began his schooling at the Taif Model Elementary and Intermediate School. When he was fourteen, he was sent by his father to study at Lawrenceville School, a prep school in New Jersey. He then graduated in 1963 from Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Subsequently, he pursued his undergraduate studies at Georgetown (Class of '68). After he left Georgetown, he did some studies in Britain, and then went back to work in the Kingdom. Prince Turki was appointed an Advisor in the Royal Court in 1973. From 1977 to 2001, he served as the Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate. He is married to Princess Nouf Bint Fahd Ibn Khaled Al-Saud. On the other hand the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Prince Turki Al-Faisal has been nominated by the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, to take on the role of Saudi ambassador to the United States of America. Prince Turki talked to Asharq Al-Awsat about the cooperation between London and Riyadh in the war on Terror, and the achievements of his current post, his expectations and goals of his forthcoming role. Q) How do you perceive the recent decision of your assignment to Washington D.C, and how would you assess your time as Ambassador to the UK ? A) As you know, a formal decision has not been announced regarding this reassignment. What has actually taken place is that the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, nominated me as ambassador for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America. Until the American government accepts this, any talk regarding this matter would be premature. I have spent two and a half years in Britain, during which I gained a lot of experience and I was given the opportunity to establish many good relationships with the British people who are a generous and hospitable nation. Also during this period, I was able to organize social events to acquaint the British population with their Saudi counterparts. Q) What can you tell us about security cooperation between the two countries? A) Currently, there is a security cooperation taking place between various security authorities of the two countries. There is also constant coordination concerning many aspects, despite the fact that the "Saudi dissidents" file is still open. Q) Considering that some of the dissidents were previously condemned in security cases such as Sa'ad Al-Faqih, whose name was linked to prince Abdullah's assassination attempt, did you request from the British government to extradite these dissidents? A) Khaled El Fawaz is wanted by the Americans, and arrangements are being made between the two countries. As for Al-Faqih and Al Massari, they were not officially demanded, yet some negotiations are taking place between the two governments to see what can be achieved. Q) What about Sa'ad Al-Faqih whose group was categorized as one of those supporting terrorism and was also linked to the attempt of prince Abdullah's assassination? Will he be extradited to Saudi authorities? A) The trial of those involved in prince Abdullah's assassination attempt is still being prepared and details of this trail will be revealed in time. Q) What do you think about the terrorist attacks, which took place in London over the last few weeks? A) I believe that the terrorist attacks that London witnessed recently are similar to those, which have been taking place in Saudi Arabia. Such attacks are the works of misguided groups whose aim is to terrorize and frighten people. However, we deeply put our trust in officials and heads of security of both countries and in their dedicated effort to combat and eliminate terrorism. Q) Saudi Arabia has had its share of terrorist attacks and still does its best to eliminate it. Having dealt with such an experience, what advice would you give to the British? A) I believe that the British have enough expertise to handle these kinds of attacks. The British police had efficiently dealt with what was formerly known as the Irish Republican Army in the past 20 years through which it had gained experience that will now assist the British to deal with such actions. Q) Does this mean that there is no security coordination between the two countries and therefore no exchange of wanted lists? A) Security cooperation between the two countries has been and still is taking place. As for the exchange of wanted lists between both countries, I believe that the officials of the Saudi Minister of interior affairs are able to give a detailed answer to that question. Q) What advice would you give to your successor in the case that Washington agrees to your nomination? What are the most important security-related issues that he would have to tackle? A) I would never claim to be able to guide anyone who will replace me, as he will surely have his own visions and plans. However, I think that the best advice that I can give him is to socialize with the British community and to become acquainted with it. Also, he should try to coordinate the common issues of the two countries in order to develop relations between the two governments and nations as well. Q) What do you believe will be the most important issues that you will have to deal with in Washington? A) My priority there will be to enhance relations between the two people. This could be achieved through making the most of Prince Abdullah's visit to the United States, which was very successful and the joint statement made by the Prince and President Bush, which has defined the relationships between the two countries and focused upon cadres exchange between the two countries. These are some of the matters that I will pay great attention to. Q) Does this mean that you will rely on popular diplomacy? A) As I said, there will be a dedicated focus from my part on developing and enhancing relations between the nations of both countries. Q) Diplomacy is built on personal relationships. Do you have friendship relations with the current officials in the American government? A) This is what I will exert my efforts to achieve during my time there. I will work on establishing good ties with all American officials. Q) Does this mean that you will start from scratch concerning relationships with Americans? A) Why start from scratch when Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan has succeeded in 25 years of diplomatic work, to create solid friendships with key decision makers in the United States? I will first rely on God then Prince Bandar's advice and recommendations in following up these matters. Q) The terrorism file is one of the most important files in the US. In light of your extensive experience as the former head of Saudi intelligence, do you believe that your experience will assist in tackling the terrorism issue? A) The matter is handled by specialized bodies such as the General Intelligence Directorate, the ministry of interior in Saudi Arabia in coordination with American authorities. I would not hesitate to take part in tackling this issue if I were asked, apart from that however, I do believe that it is not favourable that an ambassador interferes in such technical matters concerned with the exchange of information which are far from the work of the embassy. Q) The American court has refused to pursue the lawsuit filed against you. With your new post, will you seek to see the charges dropped against 200 people and public and private corporations in relation to the 9/11 attacks? A) This remains the decision of the American courts and such matters must be tackled within the courts. It is well known that judicial authorities in the United States enjoy autonomy just as the Saudi judicial system does. We aim to close the cases within these courts. However if they are not, we will continue to defend ourselves. Q) Finally, what is your assessment of Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan's duration in Washington? A) If you recall, I made a statement immediately after the honorable nomination made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Crown Prince to be ambassador to the United States. It said, "To follow Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan's is quite a difficult thing to do, however I aim to seek guidance from his efforts and accomplishments with regards to consolidating relationships between the United States and Saudi Arabia". It is for this reason that I believe that I will need support and advice from Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan during my post in the United States." On the other hand Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland issued London a clarification concerning his interview with Alsharq Alawsat newspaper in its issue of Saturday, July 23, 2005. The clarification said, "Alsharq Alawsat newspaper chose the sentence 'I broke the ice in London and I seek to break it in Washington' as a headline for its interview with me published in the issue of Saturday, July 23, 2005. This is an expression that I do not agree with and it neither reflects at all the state of Saudi-British relations previously nor the Saudi-US relations currently. Prince Turki Al-Faisal said, "there is no ice to be broken by anyone between the kingdom and Britain and this is the case with the kingdom and the US." Prince Turki Al-Faisal stated that this expression was never uttered in his press interview and that it seemed that rhetoric had overcome reporting accuracy to which the esteemed Alsharq Alawsat should have adhered. On the other hand Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland inaugurated the initiative of Cultural Contact Trip between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Britain that will be conducted by a number of Saudi and British students to the North Pole in a discovery journey that will be made to one of the most remote and difficult areas in the world. A speech ceremony was held on this occasion at Windlesham House School. Four British students of this school will take part in the trip along with six Saudi students from King Faisal Schools and Kingdom Schools. In his speech, Prince Turki stressed that this initiative is a positive step to develop understanding between the peoples of the two countries. He noted the convention of the National Dialogue Forum last December which focused on the issues of youth, indicating that Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard emphasized during the Forum that youth are of the most concern to the Kingdom. Prince Turki thanked the companies sponsoring the trip and Norwegian authorities for providing facilities.