Prince Saud Al-Faisal
Press Conference
28 January 2010
Location: Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Time: 2.10pm-2.40pm (Approximately)
Journalists:
Jeremy Bowen, Middle East Editor, BBC
Ian Black, Middle East Editor, The Guardian
Katherine Philp, Diplomatic Editor, The Times
Con Coughlin, Associate Editor, The Daily Telegraph
Samia Nakhoul, Middle East Editor, Reuters
Andrew Gardener, The Financial Times
Jane Logan, Middle EastProducer,BBC
Raghda Bahman, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat
Abdulaziz Ahendi, Saudi Press Agency
BBCTV Interview
Jeremy Bowen: Thanks for doing this today.
Prince Saud: It’s a pleasure to be here.
Jeremy Bowen: At the conference this morning President Karzai said that Saudi Arabia should be involved in a new peace process with the Taliban in Afghanistan, will you do that?
Prince Saud: Well he’s very kind to have confidence in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Saudi Arabia has always been involved in bringing peace to Afghanistan, and I am sure that His Majesty will spare no effort in helping.
Jeremy Bowen: How do you think that might actually work in practice?
Prince Saud: Well, it depends on what the Afghanis want.
Jeremy Bowen: So it has to come from them?
Prince Saud: We’ll have to see.
Jeremy Bowen: So they make the move?
Prince Saud: They have to make it.
Jeremy Bowen: How good are Saudi Arabia’s connections with the Taliban in Afghanistan?
Prince Saud: Well that’s a surprising thing, maybe for everyone to hear, but Saudi Arabia has no connection with the Taliban in Afghanistan. We’ve got relations, ages ago. When they started to give sanctuary to Bin Laden, we cut relations, we haven’t renewed them.
Jeremy Bowen: But there were of course those meetings that were written about in 2008 between, well, the gentlemen who had the dinner with the king, for example. I mean, there are people one step removed who can talk to them, who you can talk to, aren’t there?
Prince Saud: Well, we don’t not speak, sorry for the double negative, with Afghanis. We have nothing against them.It’s the Taliban and their ideas, and especially those who agree to giving sanctuary to the terrorists, we don’t talk to.
Jeremy Bowen: Well that’s going to be quite difficult, isn’t it? If you want to take part in a peace process involving the Taliban of the kind that President Karzai appeared to be suggesting, because then you have to talk to them.
Prince Saud: And that’s a good example of what needs to be done, unless the Taliban give up the issue of sanctuary I don’t think the negotiations with them will be in any way positive or feasible to achieve anything.
Jeremy Bowen: By sanctuary you mean sanctuary for Bin Laden?
Prince Saud: By keeping their contact with Bin Laden they will not be coming to any negotiations with a positive attitude.
Jeremy Bowen: So are you saying then, that a precondition for Saudi Arabia, would be for the Taliban, if they wanted to get involved in a kind of peace process of the sort that President Karzai is discussing, they have to give that up?
Prince Saud: Saudi Arabia’s involvement is that that particular request comes officially from Afghanistan and that Taliban has to prove its good intentions in coming to the negotiations by cutting relations with the terrorists.
Jeremy Bowen: So, they make, what, a public statement saying that they will cut their relations?
Prince Saud: No they just have to tell us that they have cut them, and have to tell the government of Afghanistan.
Jeremy Bowen: Gordon Brown...
Prince Saud: …and prove it of course.
Jeremy Bowen: Yes. Did it seem to you that president Karzai’s suggestions would go further then the ones Gordon Brown has talked about? But he seems to be talking about a piece process of working on a lower level, with more junior members of the Taliban.
Prince Saud: Well I think the important thing in this conference is the intention to change policy in Afghanistan. Recognition first that the settlement in Afghanistan is not going to be a military question alone, that there has to be a political and economic side to the settlement that all the Afghanis should be brought in to negotiate peace between the Afghanis before peace for Afghanistan can be achieved.
Jeremy Bowen: Do you think the war that American and the Britishand their allies are fighting there, is worthwhile and should be continued?
Prince Saud: Well, if the war is concentrating on the terrorists, certainly it is worthwhile. And I think if peace is brought between the Afghanis and the terrorists are isolated, then the war against the terrorists would be successful.
Jeremy Bowen: But isn’t it the problem with those kinds of wars, that civilians can get killed and that can act as a recruiter for the likes of Al Qaeda, at times.
Prince Saud: But they will be killed if they give sanctuary too. If they don’t give sanctuary he will be isolated. They will not be accepted in the villages and in the cities of Afghanistan. And therefore no casualty on civilians will be born.
Jeremy Bowen: So you would supportthe, what’s at the moment is the escalation of the war in Afghanistan?
Prince Saud: We support the saying that war is not going to finish the situation in Afghanistan, that peace amongst Afghanis, economic development and resources to be given to theAfghani people to occupy,bring the labour back to work and bring the farmers back to work and isolate the terrorists…that’s what’s going to bring peace in Afghanistan.
Jeremy Bowen: In terms of that political settlement, do you think western countries are wrong in trying to apply western norms to the way things are done in Afghanistan? I’m particularly thinking about the way that Gordon Brown among others has spoken very strongly about the need for President Karzai to crack down on corruption.
Prince Saud: Well we think that.,..nation building can only follow stability. Value, change can only come after stability, but not prior to stability. Democratisation can come only after stability is established in the country because by its nature these issues are divisive. And when you are fighting the war, to bring divisive issues in the midst of the Afghani people I think would be tactically wrong in any case.
Jeremy Bowen: Are you suggesting that it’s a tactical mistake to talk too much about corruption at the moment? Mr Brown especially has been talking a lot about it.
Prince Saud: No, corruption is evil everywhere. It’s a universal no-no. It’s not something where you have different value systems. No, corruption I don’t think is the divisive issue that would be dangerous to bring up.
Jeremy Bowen: But would you say that it’s something to be dealt with later on after there’s stability in the country?
Prince Saud: I think all other issues but fighting the war against terrorists, if it diverts attention from them, is wrong.
Jeremy Bowen: Do you think there’s a danger that with the current surge, if you can call it that, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, that people who are fighting for Al-Qaeda that are there might be pushed out and might perhaps end up in Yemen across your border?
Prince Saud: Of course any establishment of Al-Qaeda base in Yemen is dangerous in itself. Al-Qaeda doesn’t have to send people from Afghanistan. They can recruit in other places, so the danger is not a transfer from the war in Afghanistan to Yemen. Al Qaeda is dangerous wherever it is.It has to be isolated everywhere and therefore liable to be defeated.
Jeremy Bowen: But would you say that the way that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has established itself in Yemen, seems to have established itself strongly, that that will act as a magnet perhaps for people to come from Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Prince Saud: Well, we hope that the fight against Al Qaeda and Yemen will be fought vigorously, not to allow that. The best thing to do with the terrorist is to keep them on the move so that they cannot establish a base so they cannot plan moves so they cannot...He has to keep running instead of planning evil things.
Jeremy Bowen: Do you think that there’s a risk in Yemen that if the Americans and their western allies got too involved in strong counter terrorism measures there, that there could be a blow back that the people of Yemen could react badly against that?
Prince Saud: The important thing is to have a unified approach to the fight against terrorism by the Yemenis themselves; there should be no infiltration of Al-Qaeda to the Yemeni tribes. The government, we think, should keep the country united against the terrorist. Indeed in Saudi Arabia we were only able to contain the terrorists by having the people coming with the government in this way and giving information against them, even families start giving information about their sons and request the government to look for the sons and keep them from getting into trouble.
Jeremy Bowen: Our time is limited so I’d like to just talk about one or two other areas quite quickly. You’ve called for Iran, first of all, you called for Iran to have nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, but do you agree with the US and the UK and others that actually Iran is working on a nuclear weapon at the moment.
Prince Saud: Well, if they are working on a peaceful nuclear programme they certainly have a strange way of showing it. All other countries that are working on a peaceful nuclear programme are not acting likeIran is.
Jeremy Bowen: So you don’t believe them then?
Prince Saud: Their refusal about the enrichment plant. We’ve proposed to them having a consortium for building enrichment plants. If they build an enrichment plant and they have only one reactor, what do they do with the fuel that’s developed by the enrichment plant. After all the enrichment plant develops fuel for more than at least one reactor.
Jeremy Bowen: I think you’re suggesting you believe that the Iranians are after a nuclear weapon, so if that’s the case, what do you do to stop them? Are sanctions enough?
Prince Saud: I think there is one sure way of stopping them, and that’s taking a decision in the Security Council that no weapons of mass destruction, nuclear or otherwise, will be allowed in the Middle East. And that includes, of course, Israel
Jeremy Bowen: Do you see the Americans voting for a resolution like that?
Prince Saud: I hope they do, if they want to have the region cleared of nuclear weapons. And here is where the problem is, it is all right to talk about the nuclearisation every where except when it comes toIsrael.
Jeremy Bowen: What would you say at the moment, first of all, one other question before we leave this subject.If Iran got nuclear weapons would Saudi Arabia then want to have nuclear weapons?
Prince Saud: Saudi Arabia not, but I’m sure that may countries in the Middle East would develop nuclear weapons, undoubtedly.
Jeremy Bowen: But not Saudi Arabia?
Prince Saud: No.
Jeremy Bowen: What’s the biggest danger in the Middle East at the moment?
Prince Saud: Nuclear weapons. I can’t imagine a region that is full of nuclear weapons like the Middle East, being a safe place.
Jeremy Bowen: On the Israel/Palestine front, could you ever see a situation where the Arab peace plan is taken off the table?
Prince Saud: Well I don’t see what the purpose of taking it off the table, if it is refused by Israel it is not going to be implemented, if it brings peace between the Arab countries and Israel that’s what is needed. What is the use moving to other path?
Jeremy Bowen: So it will stay there?
Prince Saud: Positive
Jeremy Bowen: Would you like Mr Obama to pick it up a little bit more vigorously than he has?
Prince Saud: Much more.
Jeremy Bowen: He’s been lukewarm about it hasn’t he?
Prince Saud: No, much more vigorously. We hope the Israelis pick it up, because I think if its security they need, a peace treaty with all the Arab countries, and indeed all the Muslim countries, signing a peace treaty with Israel. A peace that is more than an end to conflict, a peace of normalisation, of exchanges, of human exchanges of security for all. That is what brings peace.
Jeremy Bowen: Your brother Prince Turki last year said if the US wanted to keep it strategic alliances in tact, including with Saudi Arabia, would have to dramatically revise its policies vis-à-visIsrael and the Palestinians. Now is there any sign of that happening? And would you agree with him? Is he talking sense?
Prince Saud: I don’t comment on my juniors.
Jeremy Bowen: It’s the last thing really, President Obama’s first year in dealing with the Middle East, he himself has said in his interview at times magazine something along the lines of: he wouldn’t have raised any expectations quite so high if he realised how difficult it was going to be. What would you like him to do in his second year, bearing in mind the lack of success he’s had in his first year?
Prince Saud: Well I take it on principle not to contradict heads of state, but what I would like to see is that the position that he announced in his speech in Cairo and in his speech in the United Nations be set out as a frame of reference for negotiations. Not taken to Israel to comment on it and change, but to be put on the table and to invite both sides to negotiations, and to hold to those positions during negotiations.
Jeremy Bowen: OK, thank you very much.
Prince Saud: Thank you.
Press conference – print journalists
Samia Nakhoul: How realistic do you think or easy it is to split Taliban from Al Qaeda in Afghanistan?
Prince Saud: To separate them?
Samia Nakhoul: Yes
Prince Saud: The way we did it is to gain the confidence of the people, and that is why we say that war is not the only way to achieve peace in Afghanistan. When you fight a war with the people, they will be more apt to follow the lead of the terrorists than not allow them take advantage of the security they provide.If you gain the confidence of the people and you start getting information from the people and this information is used quickly and efficiently, then you’re always one step ahead of the terrorist, and that is what we hope would happen in Afghanistan.
Samia Nakhoul: Thank you
Andrew Gardener: Prince Saud, sorry to keep moving you from one arena to another but, Yemen. There are some people looking at the situation in Yemen, “Yemen watchers” if you will, who fear not precisely because of Al-Qaeda but because of the insurgency in the north and the gathering secessionist movement in the south, an eventual clash between Saudi Arabia and Iran in south Arabia. What would you say to them? And could you comment as to whether you think there is any Iranian involvement already.
Prince Saud: Undoubtedly there is Iranian involvement in Yemen. The government of Yemen itself says so. There is even pictures, and pictures speak louder than words, of Iranian people in the terrorist area and so that part of it is there and this is why we are surprised. What are the Iranians got to do with Yemen? It’s not a neighbouring country, it’s never been involved with Yemen before. What is the purpose of their coming there? And why is it that since they came there has been these incursions into Saudi territory? We would like to know the motives of Iran in this. We don’t look for a clash with Iran in Yemen, or any where. Iran is a neighbour of ours and we want good neighbourly relations between us. We mean them no harm and we hope they mean us no harm. And this is how, what good neighbours should act like, other than create problems for each other.
Ian Black: On Yemen also, if I may ask. Do you see any prospect of the Kingdom and the other members of the GCC will agree at any point in the future, to open up its labour markets for Yemen? As you know, this is a big issue for Yemen, very poor country, cut off to a large extent from its naturalhinterland for reasons we remember. But in the current climate of concern aboutYemen, particularly its economy is this something you would consider?
Prince Saud: Why the labour market of Yemen is open in Saudi Arabia. We have how many Yemenis in Saudi Arabia, over one million Yemenis. And theirremittances are important for the economy of Yemen. I don’t know how many are in the other gulf countries. But Yemen is already part of many of the activities of the Gulf Cooperation Council. And we in Saudi Arabia hope that eventually they will join the Gulf Cooperation Council. But we are hoping that before they do that, the standard of living of the country could be raised, at least to be close to the standard of living in the other gulf countries and that is for a very good reason. If we don’t do that, you will have all the trained Yemenis who are so much needed in Yemen itself to create the development of the Yemen, would migrate to the gulf countries and this will be to the detriment of the development process of Yemen.