http://www.reuters.co.il/news2000/N2SCMOYA.HTM
US government backs Giuliani against Saudi prince
By Jonathan Wright
WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on
Friday backed New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in his dispute
with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia over Alwaleed's
linkage of the attacks of Sept. 11 to the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
Giuliani on Thursday rejected Prince Alwaleed's offer of a
$10 million donation for victims of the World Trade Center
attack after the prince said U.S. policy in the Middle East was
among the causes that led to the attacks.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that it was
up to the city of New York and the fund whether to accept the
donation and that the State Department was not consulted.
But he added: "We do object to Prince Alwaleed's remarks.
We find his remarks on the Middle East highly inappropriate. We
find those kind of remarks highly objectionable."
"What we find objectionable is linking the Sept. 11 attacks
with Israeli policy or U.S. policy in the Middle East. We think
there's no excuse for the murder of innocent civilians.
"I think history has shown that al Qaeda is out to kill
Americans whatever is going on in the Middle East and they
could care less about most of the governments in the Middle
East who are working for peace," he told a daily briefing.
The United States says al Qaeda, the organization led by
Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, is the prime suspect in
the Sept. 11 attacks. In retaliation it is bombing Afghanistan,
where bin Laden and his followers have been based.
Prince Alwaleed, a member of the Saudi ruling family and
one of the world's richest men, had said in a statement: "At
times like this one, we must address some of the issues that
led to such a criminal act.
"The government of the United States of America should
reexamine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more
balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause. Our Palestinian
brothers continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis."
At least 624 Palestinians and 175 Israelis have been killed
since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke
out in the West Bank and Gaza a year ago.
"A MISUNDERSTANDING," SAYS PRINCE
The prince called the dispute a misunderstanding on Friday
but repeated his point of view on the linkage.
"Clearly we still believe that after the United States
finishes its retaliation process ... it has to tackle the root
causes of this action," he told CNBC.
"I regret that the mayor misunderstood the whole thing. If
the United States is going to eradicate and extract the roots
of terrorism it has to look at the roots of it in the Middle
East and the roots, this is really Palestine. Whether we like
it or not it is inevitable that they have to look at that."
U.S. officials have recognized only that Arab and Muslim
discontent with the state of the Middle East peace process
makes it harder to recruit allies against what the United
States calls terrorism.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an
Islamic advocacy group, accused Giuliani of trying to pander to
U.S. supporters of Israel.
"It is unconscionable that Mayor Giuliani would sacrifice
the interests of the victims of these horrific attacks in order
to score points with the domestic lobby for a foreign
government. It is just this kind of uncritical support for
Israel's brutal policies toward Palestinian Christians and
Muslims that creates resentment ... that is in turn exploited
by terrorists," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Boucher denied reports from the Middle East that the United
States has prepared an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
"We are not at the point of putting forward peace
proposals," he said.
((Jonathan Wright, State Department bureau, +1 202 898 8393,
fax +1 202 659 5254, jonathan.wright@reuters.com)) 12 OCT 2001 20:09:53
US government backs Giuliani against Saudi prince
US government backs Giuliani against Saudi prince
By Jonathan Wright
WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on
Friday backed New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in his dispute
with Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia over Alwaleed's
linkage of the attacks of Sept. 11 to the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
Giuliani on Thursday rejected Prince Alwaleed's offer of a
$10 million donation for victims of the World Trade Center
attack after the prince said U.S. policy in the Middle East was
among the causes that led to the attacks.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that it was
up to the city of New York and the fund whether to accept the
donation and that the State Department was not consulted.
But he added: "We do object to Prince Alwaleed's remarks.
We find his remarks on the Middle East highly inappropriate. We
find those kind of remarks highly objectionable."
"What we find objectionable is linking the Sept. 11 attacks
with Israeli policy or U.S. policy in the Middle East. We think
there's no excuse for the murder of innocent civilians.
"I think history has shown that al Qaeda is out to kill
Americans whatever is going on in the Middle East and they
could care less about most of the governments in the Middle
East who are working for peace," he told a daily briefing.
The United States says al Qaeda, the organization led by
Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, is the prime suspect in
the Sept. 11 attacks. In retaliation it is bombing Afghanistan,
where bin Laden and his followers have been based.
Prince Alwaleed, a member of the Saudi ruling family and
one of the world's richest men, had said in a statement: "At
times like this one, we must address some of the issues that
led to such a criminal act.
"The government of the United States of America should
reexamine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more
balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause. Our Palestinian
brothers continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis."
At least 624 Palestinians and 175 Israelis have been killed
since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke
out in the West Bank and Gaza a year ago.
"A MISUNDERSTANDING," SAYS PRINCE
The prince called the dispute a misunderstanding on Friday
but repeated his point of view on the linkage.
"Clearly we still believe that after the United States
finishes its retaliation process ... it has to tackle the root
causes of this action," he told CNBC.
"I regret that the mayor misunderstood the whole thing. If
the United States is going to eradicate and extract the roots
of terrorism it has to look at the roots of it in the Middle
East and the roots, this is really Palestine. Whether we like
it or not it is inevitable that they have to look at that."
U.S. officials have recognized only that Arab and Muslim
discontent with the state of the Middle East peace process
makes it harder to recruit allies against what the United
States calls terrorism.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an
Islamic advocacy group, accused Giuliani of trying to pander to
U.S. supporters of Israel.
"It is unconscionable that Mayor Giuliani would sacrifice
the interests of the victims of these horrific attacks in order
to score points with the domestic lobby for a foreign
government. It is just this kind of uncritical support for
Israel's brutal policies toward Palestinian Christians and
Muslims that creates resentment ... that is in turn exploited
by terrorists," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
Boucher denied reports from the Middle East that the United
States has prepared an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
"We are not at the point of putting forward peace
proposals," he said.
((Jonathan Wright, State Department bureau, +1 202 898 8393,
fax +1 202 659 5254, jonathan.wright@reuters.com)) 12 OCT 2001 20:09:53
US government backs Giuliani against Saudi prince
