INTERVIEW WITH PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL
SAUDI MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTRY

January 13, 2003

Excerpts

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MS. COURIC: Finally, the war. One Saudi official told me, when it comes to war, your country will give the United States what it needs, not what it wants, and what it needs being permission to fly over Saudi territory, command-and-control operations, search-and- rescue missions. What it wants, perhaps, and what you will not okay: Offensive missions launched from Saudi soil, U.S. ground troops.

If there is evidence of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction and if the U.N. Security Council authorizes force -- two significant ifs, admittedly -- will you support military action against Iraq, even if public opinion in your country is against it?

PRINCE SAUD: Well, look, what we are working for is the prevention of use of military force. Why? Because military force is going to create more problems than it makes for solutions. Now, if the United Nations finds there is material breach and that military action is viable and feasible, we are asking, Give us a chance.

MS. COURIC: But how difficult will it (be to) achieve these results peacefully? It's not as if Saddam Hussein will say, Hey, guilty. See ya later.

PRINCE SAUD: No, but there is -- Iraq is not Saddam Hussein alone. And it is a mistake to think of Iraq as Saddam Hussein alone. Iraq is a country that's been there for at least 5,000 years. What you are -- if you tell the Iraqis that war is coming, regardless of any conditions that apply, they will support Saddam Hussein.

If you tell them, No, we want your established order to remain until we create the transition period that brings multifaceted democratic institutions -- (and look who's talking in this?) -- multilateral democratic institutions into being, where is his support if he wants to (do it?)?

MS. COURIC: So you believe if there is evidence of weapons of mass destruction, that the end of Saddam Hussein's regime can be worked out peacefully and will have the support of the Iraqi people?

PRINCE SAUD: At least give us a chance. What would be (lost?) in that? If, in the final analysis, we don't succeed, those who are working for war can have their war as they please, but which is going to be a catastrophe for the region.

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