Saudi Arabia CONDEMNS TERRORISM,

SUPPORTS CLOSE TIES with the United States

 
Next year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States . Over the past seven decades, the two countries have established a close working relationship in all areas of human endeavor. The terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 , were soundly condemned by Saudi Arabian leaders, who also emphasized the importance of the Saudi-U.S. relationship. Below are some comments made by Saudi leaders in the wake of the tragedy of September 11.

• “We in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are fully prepared to cooperate with you in every matter conducive to revealing the identity of the perpetrators of this criminal act and bringing them to justice.”

— Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in a telephone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush on September 13, 2001

 

 • “Arabs and Muslims stand aloof from such acts that no sane and God-believing individual would commit.”

— Crown Prince Abdullah, September 14, 2001

 

 • “We are a moderate nation and there should be no exaggeration in religion. … Muslims will be strong as Allah will protect us from the evils perpetrated by those who pretend to be Muslims. I believe that they are not right. May Allah guide them to the right path.”

— Crown Prince Abdullah, January 27, 2002

 

 • “Our relationship has been very strong for over six decades. I really don’t see any disagreements, other than what I read in some media … and I don’t see any reason why there should be a change.”

            — Crown Prince Abdullah, January 30, 2002

• “We have been close friends for so long. … We saw this attack by bin Ladin and his men as an attack on us, too, and an attempt to damage the U.S.-Saudi relationship. We were deeply saddened by it, and we never expected it to lead to tensions between us. But we’ve now learned to respond to events differently. … It is never too late to express our regrets.”

            — Crown Prince Abdullah, February 17, 2002


• “ America is a friend. America ’s interests are as important to us as our own interests. … I have a recommendation to make: every nation, under United Nations auspices, should sign an international agreement and commit to combating terrorism and drugs. If a country refuses to [do so], it should be punished.”

— Crown Prince Abdullah, February 25, 2002

 

 • “ Saudi Arabia will do everything in its power to fight the scourge of terrorism. This support comes from a country that has suffered from terrorism and knows exactly what it means.”

            — Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal, September 19, 2001

 

 • “Hijacking planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood, constitute a form of injustice that cannot be tolerated by Islam, which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts. … Any Muslim who is aware of the teachings of his religion and who adheres to the directives of the Holy Qur’an and the sunnah (the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad) will never involve himself in such acts, because they will invoke the anger of God Almighty and lead to harm and corruption on earth.”

— Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulema (religious scholars) Shaikh Abdulaziz Al-Ashaikh, September 15, 2001

 

 • “It is incumbent upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a state governed by the spirit and rulings of Islam, to deplore any criminal and corrupt act, irrespective of whether the perpetrators are Muslims or non-Muslims. Those who are truly versed in the fundamentals and reality of Islam know that such acts are crimes of endless harm.”

—    Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Salih bin Muhammad Al-Luheidan, September 14, 2001

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