PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SAUDI MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

April 9, 2003

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, in his weekly briefing today, expressed the Kingdom's growing concern over the collapse of security in Iraqi cities and the consequent chaos of looting and plundering, and warned that continuation of this situation could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. The looting, he said, can be directly attributed to shortage of foodstuffs and essentials, and urged that this be addressed as a matter of urgency by the international community. He stressed the importance of protecting the innocent Iraqi civilians and their property, noting in particular that the special status of the city of Baghdad in Arab and Islamic history should be taken into consideration, and its character preserved.

Prince Saud went on to say that what is happening in Iraq should not distract the attention of the United Nations from the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories as a result of Israel's incessant aggression against the unarmed Palestinian people. He stressed the need for commitment to the recent statements made in Belfast by the British Prime Minister and the U.S. President concerning the achievement of peace in the Middle East and implementation of the 'road map', in order to establish an independent Palestinian state and put an end to a regional tragedy that has been going on for decades.

Calling for an end to the occupation of Iraq as soon as possible, Prince Saud said the way must be facilitated for the Iraqi people to choose how they wish to administer their affairs. Asked if the Kingdom would recognize the U.S. installation of a military government in Iraq, Prince Saud reiterated that Saudi Arabia will deal with the government chosen by the Iraqi people. In response to a question on the possibility of Saudi participation in Iraq's reconstruction, in coordination with the United States and Britain, Prince Saud commented that this can only be discussed once a legitimate Iraqi government is set up and receives international recognition. "The first and basic step", he said, "is to give the Iraqis the chance to choose the government they want before taking another step towards reconstruction or normalization."

On the possibility of dividing Iraq, Prince Saud commented that he is unaware of what the Iraqi opposition is planning, but reiterated the Kingdom's firm position that Iraq should preserve its territorial integrity and independence, with two basic requirements for any reconstruction in Iraq: one, a recognized administration; and two, institutional work by the United Nations towards Iraq's new situation. In other words, reconstruction can only work with internal Iraqi legal authority and external international legal cover.

Concerning the humanitarian aid for Iraq promised by the Kingdom, Prince Saud pointed out that although he had, at the recent meeting of the Arab League, expressed the Kingdom's desire to send aid in coordination with the Iraqi Red Crescent, the Iraqi response had been that when Iraq needs aid it will ask for it. Meanwhile, the Saudi government has authorized the Saudi Red Crescent to start contacts with the concerned international organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to deliver the required aid, with an initial sum of SR 300 million [U.S. $80 million] appropriated for this purpose. The aid, he said, is available, and it will move when the circumstances are appropriate for its delivery to the required destinations.

On the issue of oil, Prince Saud confirmed that the Kingdom would attend an OPEC meeting if one were to take place. A mutually agreed formula is needed, he said, to forge a mechanism for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and OPEC in the current crisis. On military cooperation with the United States, Prince Saud affirmed that the only military agreement is the UN-sponsored Safwan agreement regarding the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

Asked to comment on the introduction of democracy in the Middle East and on reform in the region, Prince Saud questioned what is meant by democracy, and how the participation of the people in choosing their governments could be considered a threat to them, adding that the real threat comes from weapons and bombs, and from talk in certain quarters about the Middle East as a rich region whose wealth is there to be exploited. He went on to affirm that Saudi Arabia, along with all the Arab countries, has long called for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, and this includes Israel as well as Iraq.