Foreign affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah Adel Al-Jubeir told Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s ‘Late Edition’ that the search is continuing for the body of Paul Johnson. He reiterated the Kingdom’s policy against negotiating with terrorists, denied allegations that Saudi Arabia, together with Pakistan, contributed to the growth of al-Qaeda, and pointed out that a lot of countries gave money to help rebuild Afghanistan after the ravages of the Soviet occupation, including the United States. Among the myths that have been shattered, he said, were the myth of whisking the bin Laden family out of the United States when airspace was closed after 9-11, the myth of the Saudi government funding al-Qaeda, and the myth of Princess Haifa giving money to two of the hijackers --  all of these were dispelled by the 9/11 Commission.

Asked about Al-Qaeda sympathizers within the Interior Ministry, Al-Jubeir commented that it is very easy to obtain police and military uniforms, and that the idea that Saudi security services have been infiltrated “really doesn’t hold.  If that were the case, they would not be going after soft targets.  They would be going after government installations.”

[full transcript of interview]

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