Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIYADH366
2007-02-24 12:19:00
SECRET
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:
APHSCT TOWNSEND FEBRUARY 6 MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE SULTAN
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000366
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2017
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL PINR EFIN KTFN KWMN GCC SA
SUBJECT: APHSCT TOWNSEND FEBRUARY 6 MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE SULTAN
REF: 06 RIYADH 9083
Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000366
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2017
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL PINR EFIN KTFN KWMN GCC SA
SUBJECT: APHSCT TOWNSEND FEBRUARY 6 MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE SULTAN
REF: 06 RIYADH 9083
Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) SUMMARY: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Townsend met on February 6 with Crown Prince Sultan at the Crown Prince´s offices in Jeddah. Both parties reiterated the positive cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi governments, and the Crown Prince expressed satisfaction with the improvement in the visa situation for Saudi visitors to the U.S. The Crown Prince discussed Iraq, commenting that any outside influence should serve Iraq as a united nation and not open the door for Iranian interference. The Crown Prince urged the U.S. to pay attention to the Yemen-Saudi border due to Al-Qaeda activity in Yemen but emphasized that Yemen was cooperating well with the SAG. The Crown Prince said "we will not hesitate" to cooperate on working with Arabsat to block Al-Manar television broadcasting. He requested that the U.S. fully support the Siniora government in Lebanon, noting said that "positive and rational" steps should be taken to lessen Persian influence over Syria, and confirmed Saudi support for Afghanistan´s President Karzai as a "wise and strong man." END SUMMARY.
2. (S) APHSCT Townsend shared with the Crown Prince her visit experience to the women´s charity foundation administered by his daughter Princess Rema, which APHSCT Townsend visited on February 5 in Riyadh. The Crown Prince stated that women are steadily participating in Saudi Arabia´s development. He said that the historical influence of the Bedouin people is still strong and needs to be respected -- implying that the Bedouin traditions are responsible for the slow-paced progress of women´s role in Saudi society. However, he remained positive on the increasing prominence of women in the public sphere, citing the presence of Saudi women on locally broadcast television-- a phenomenon unheard of only ten years ago. He noted that public service messages being aired in the Kingdom help emphasize the important role women play in raising children and taking care of the home. He said it will take time, as it did in the U.S. during the civil rights movement, to increase the role of women in Saudi society.
3. (S) The Crown Prince commented on U.S.- Saudi relations and stated that "positive cooperation with the U.S. best serves the interests of the world." He called the U.S. the "leader of the international community, especially of the Christian world," while stating that "Saudi Arabia is the leader of the Muslim world." He said that the visa situation is better now and that Saudis wishing to travel to the U.S. for education, medical reasons, or tourism equally serve both governments´ interests. Ambassador Oberwetter announced that Consulate Jeddah began construction of its new site in a safer part of the city.
4. (S) The Crown Prince expressed concern over the situation in Iraq, noting the daily killings and sectarian violence. He expressed hope that the U.S. would succeed in bringing peace and stability to the region. He emphasized the need for justice among all Muslim sects in order to win popular support and stem Iranian influence. He stated that "any interference should serve Iraq as a united nation," not as a nation divided by Sunni and Shi´a sectarian beliefs. The Crown Prince reiterated his concern over the sectarian violence and Iranian influence in Iraq and called for border security maintenance from all sides. APHSCT Townsend assured the Crown Prince of USG commitment to border security and highlighted the recent visit of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who worked with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to find solutions for illegal trafficking. The Crown Prince had "no doubts whatsoever about cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia" in this area.
5. (S) Following the November 15 meeting between the Crown Prince and APHSCT Townsend (reftel),APHSCT Townsend updated the Crown Prince on the Department of Energy expert assigned to work with MOI and the Ministry of Petroleum to secure Saudi Arabia´s oil infrastructure. He agreed that this cooperative effort is going well. However, he urged the U.S. to pay more attention to security along the long border with Yemen. He warned that there are active groups in Yemen, some related to Al-Qaeda, funded by external sources-- including Iran and Libya. Although Saudi Arabia and Yemen have good cooperation on border security issues, the Crown Prince requested that the USG support Yemeni President Saleh, stating that sincere cooperation from all sides will eliminate the threat posed by these groups.
6. (S) APHSCT Townsend and Ambassador Oberwetter then raised USG concerns about the growing influence of Iran, particularly through its support of Hizbollah. Hizbollah uses Al-Manar television-- based in Beirut-- to spread its propaganda. APHSCT Townsend asked the Crown Prince to use the SAG´s influence with Arabsat to block Al-Manar´s broadcasting. (NOTE: Arabsat is a major satellite television provider throughout the Middle East; Saudi Arabia is a major financial backer of this provider. Al-Manar television broadcasts on Arabsat. END NOTE.) He responded, "it is a duty. We will not hesitate to help." He further requested that the USG support the Siniora government and stated that King Abdullah has exerted great efforts to support Lebanon. APHSCT Townsend replied that the USG also feels strongly about the need to support President Siniora, citing Secretary of State Rice´s representation at the donor conference. APHSCT Townsend also thanked the Crown Prince for supporting the isolation of the Syrian regime. The Crown Prince replied that Syria is a "friendly regime," adding a pious invocation for God to rest the soul of former President Hafiz al-Assad. "We should take positive and rational steps to lessen Iranian influence on Syria," he added. (Comment: The Crown Prince´s interpreter in this meeting did not translate literally APHSCT Townsend´s careful use of the word "isolation" of Syria; the translator added the Arabic for encouraging the removal of the Syrian regime, which prompted the Crown Prince´s reply to take positive measures.)
7. (S) APHSCT Townsend expressed concern over increasing Iranian influence in Afghanistan. The Crown Prince agreed and said that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia should support Afghani President Karzai because he is a "wise and strong man" and works to oppose the Taliban presence that has re-emerged in Afghanistan recently. When APHSCT Townsend replied that the best way to support him is through support for Pakistani President Musharraf across the border, the Crown Prince replied, "that is true."
8. (C) The Crown Prince ended the meeting with conveyances of respect to President Bush and the U.S. Congress. APHSCT Townsend thanked the Crown Prince and welcomed the impending arrival of the new Saudi ambassador to the U.S.
9. (U) APHSCT Townsend has cleared this cable.
OBERWETTER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2017
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL PINR EFIN KTFN KWMN GCC SA
SUBJECT: APHSCT TOWNSEND FEBRUARY 6 MEETING WITH CROWN PRINCE SULTAN
REF: 06 RIYADH 9083
Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (S) SUMMARY: Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Townsend met on February 6 with Crown Prince Sultan at the Crown Prince´s offices in Jeddah. Both parties reiterated the positive cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi governments, and the Crown Prince expressed satisfaction with the improvement in the visa situation for Saudi visitors to the U.S. The Crown Prince discussed Iraq, commenting that any outside influence should serve Iraq as a united nation and not open the door for Iranian interference. The Crown Prince urged the U.S. to pay attention to the Yemen-Saudi border due to Al-Qaeda activity in Yemen but emphasized that Yemen was cooperating well with the SAG. The Crown Prince said "we will not hesitate" to cooperate on working with Arabsat to block Al-Manar television broadcasting. He requested that the U.S. fully support the Siniora government in Lebanon, noting said that "positive and rational" steps should be taken to lessen Persian influence over Syria, and confirmed Saudi support for Afghanistan´s President Karzai as a "wise and strong man." END SUMMARY.
2. (S) APHSCT Townsend shared with the Crown Prince her visit experience to the women´s charity foundation administered by his daughter Princess Rema, which APHSCT Townsend visited on February 5 in Riyadh. The Crown Prince stated that women are steadily participating in Saudi Arabia´s development. He said that the historical influence of the Bedouin people is still strong and needs to be respected -- implying that the Bedouin traditions are responsible for the slow-paced progress of women´s role in Saudi society. However, he remained positive on the increasing prominence of women in the public sphere, citing the presence of Saudi women on locally broadcast television-- a phenomenon unheard of only ten years ago. He noted that public service messages being aired in the Kingdom help emphasize the important role women play in raising children and taking care of the home. He said it will take time, as it did in the U.S. during the civil rights movement, to increase the role of women in Saudi society.
3. (S) The Crown Prince commented on U.S.- Saudi relations and stated that "positive cooperation with the U.S. best serves the interests of the world." He called the U.S. the "leader of the international community, especially of the Christian world," while stating that "Saudi Arabia is the leader of the Muslim world." He said that the visa situation is better now and that Saudis wishing to travel to the U.S. for education, medical reasons, or tourism equally serve both governments´ interests. Ambassador Oberwetter announced that Consulate Jeddah began construction of its new site in a safer part of the city.
4. (S) The Crown Prince expressed concern over the situation in Iraq, noting the daily killings and sectarian violence. He expressed hope that the U.S. would succeed in bringing peace and stability to the region. He emphasized the need for justice among all Muslim sects in order to win popular support and stem Iranian influence. He stated that "any interference should serve Iraq as a united nation," not as a nation divided by Sunni and Shi´a sectarian beliefs. The Crown Prince reiterated his concern over the sectarian violence and Iranian influence in Iraq and called for border security maintenance from all sides. APHSCT Townsend assured the Crown Prince of USG commitment to border security and highlighted the recent visit of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who worked with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) to find solutions for illegal trafficking. The Crown Prince had "no doubts whatsoever about cooperation between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia" in this area.
5. (S) Following the November 15 meeting between the Crown Prince and APHSCT Townsend (reftel),APHSCT Townsend updated the Crown Prince on the Department of Energy expert assigned to work with MOI and the Ministry of Petroleum to secure Saudi Arabia´s oil infrastructure. He agreed that this cooperative effort is going well. However, he urged the U.S. to pay more attention to security along the long border with Yemen. He warned that there are active groups in Yemen, some related to Al-Qaeda, funded by external sources-- including Iran and Libya. Although Saudi Arabia and Yemen have good cooperation on border security issues, the Crown Prince requested that the USG support Yemeni President Saleh, stating that sincere cooperation from all sides will eliminate the threat posed by these groups.
6. (S) APHSCT Townsend and Ambassador Oberwetter then raised USG concerns about the growing influence of Iran, particularly through its support of Hizbollah. Hizbollah uses Al-Manar television-- based in Beirut-- to spread its propaganda. APHSCT Townsend asked the Crown Prince to use the SAG´s influence with Arabsat to block Al-Manar´s broadcasting. (NOTE: Arabsat is a major satellite television provider throughout the Middle East; Saudi Arabia is a major financial backer of this provider. Al-Manar television broadcasts on Arabsat. END NOTE.) He responded, "it is a duty. We will not hesitate to help." He further requested that the USG support the Siniora government and stated that King Abdullah has exerted great efforts to support Lebanon. APHSCT Townsend replied that the USG also feels strongly about the need to support President Siniora, citing Secretary of State Rice´s representation at the donor conference. APHSCT Townsend also thanked the Crown Prince for supporting the isolation of the Syrian regime. The Crown Prince replied that Syria is a "friendly regime," adding a pious invocation for God to rest the soul of former President Hafiz al-Assad. "We should take positive and rational steps to lessen Iranian influence on Syria," he added. (Comment: The Crown Prince´s interpreter in this meeting did not translate literally APHSCT Townsend´s careful use of the word "isolation" of Syria; the translator added the Arabic for encouraging the removal of the Syrian regime, which prompted the Crown Prince´s reply to take positive measures.)
7. (S) APHSCT Townsend expressed concern over increasing Iranian influence in Afghanistan. The Crown Prince agreed and said that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia should support Afghani President Karzai because he is a "wise and strong man" and works to oppose the Taliban presence that has re-emerged in Afghanistan recently. When APHSCT Townsend replied that the best way to support him is through support for Pakistani President Musharraf across the border, the Crown Prince replied, "that is true."
8. (C) The Crown Prince ended the meeting with conveyances of respect to President Bush and the U.S. Congress. APHSCT Townsend thanked the Crown Prince and welcomed the impending arrival of the new Saudi ambassador to the U.S.
9. (U) APHSCT Townsend has cleared this cable.
OBERWETTER