Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
91RIYADH10006
1991-11-24 08:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:
PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL CRITICIZES IRAN
how-toP 240822Z NOV 91 FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3395 INFO GCC COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY BEIRUT CHUSMTM RIYADH SA USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 10006
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PTER KISL OIC GCC IR SA
SUBJECT: PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL CRITICIZES IRAN
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 10006
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PTER KISL OIC GCC IR SA
SUBJECT: PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL CRITICIZES IRAN
1. (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT).
2. DURING A NOVEMBER 21 MEETING ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS
(SEPTELS, NOTAL),THE AMBASSADOR SPARKED A DIATRIBE ON
IRAN FROM SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL BY
ASKING WHAT HE THOUGHT IRAN WAS UP TO IN THE OIC. PRINCE
SAUD REPLIED THAT IRAN HAD INDEED OFFERED TO HOST THE
NEXT OIC SUMMIT. IN HIS OPINION, THIS REPRESENTED A
TACTICAL CHANGE IN IRANIAN POLICY, NOT A STRATEGIC ONE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE PAST, IRAN HAD TRIED TO COMPETE
WITH SAUDI ARABIA BY SETTING UP ITS OWN ISLAMIC
ORGANIZATIONS. THEY HAD FAILED IN THIS REGARD AND WERE
NOW ATTEMPTING TO WORK THROUGH THE EXISTING MACHINERY
INSTEAD. HOWEVER, THEIR GOALS REMAINED THE SAME --
REGIONAL HEGEMONY AND INTERVENTION IN ARAB AFFAIRS.
3. TURNING TO GCC RELATIONS WITH IRAN, PRINCE SAUD SAID
THAT OMAN WAS NO LONGER AS "FASCINATED" WITH IRAN AS IT
HAD ONCE BEEN. (LATER, THE PRINCE REMARKED THAT HE
RECOGNIZED THE OMANIS HAD TO ADOPT A DIFFERENT POSTURE ON
IRAN THAN SOME OTHER GCC STATES DUE TO THEIR CLOSE
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY TO IT.) IN FACT, PRINCE SAUD
CONTINUED, ALL GCC COUNTRIES DESIRED GOOD RELATIONS WITH
IRAN, BUT IRANIAN POLICIES (ITS MILITARY BUILD-UP,
AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE OF MILITARY EXERCISES, AND THE
ANTI-PEACE CONFERENCE IN TEHRAN) REMINDED EVERYONE THAT
THE ONLY REAL THREATS TO GULF SECURITY HAD COME FROM
STATES WITHIN THE REGION.
4. PRINCE SAUD CONTINUED THAT THE ONLY AREA WHERE IRAN
WAS BEING AT ALL REASONABLE WAS ON THE HOSTAGES IN
LEBANON. HOWEVER, EVEN HERE HE SAW AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE,
SAYING THAT THE IRANIANS' TRUE OBJECTIVE WAS TO GET THE
WESTERN ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OF IRAN LIFTED. THE IRANIANS
NOW REALIZE, HE SAID, THAT THEY MUST STRENGTHEN THEIR
ECONOMY IF THEY ARE TO ACHIEVE THEIR MILITARY AND
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES.
5. PRINCE SAUD CONCLUDED HIS CRITIQUE OF IRAN BY NOTING
THAT, FORTUNATELY, THE IRANIANS WERE NOT FOOLING ANY OF
THE GCC COUNTRIES, ALL OF WHOM HE SAID REGARDED IRAN AS A
THREAT NOT AN ALLY. THERE WOULD OF COURSE BE SPORADIC
ATTEMPTS TO SHOW GOOD NEIGHBORLINESS, SUCH AS THE RECENT
VISIT BY QATAR'S CROWN PRINCE, BUT MOST IRANIAN/GCC
PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE SWEETWATER PIPELINE TO QATAR UNDER
THE GULF, WOULD FALL OF THEIR OWN WEIGHT FOR ECONOMIC
REASONS, THE FOREIGN MINISTER CONCLUDED.
6. COMMENT: PRINCE SAUD'S CANDID REMARKS DEMONSTRATE
CLEARLY THAT DESPITE THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS, THERE IS NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND
ITS MAIN COMPETITOR FOR INFLUENCE IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.
FREEMAN
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PTER KISL OIC GCC IR SA
SUBJECT: PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL CRITICIZES IRAN
1. (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT).
2. DURING A NOVEMBER 21 MEETING ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS
(SEPTELS, NOTAL),THE AMBASSADOR SPARKED A DIATRIBE ON
IRAN FROM SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL BY
ASKING WHAT HE THOUGHT IRAN WAS UP TO IN THE OIC. PRINCE
SAUD REPLIED THAT IRAN HAD INDEED OFFERED TO HOST THE
NEXT OIC SUMMIT. IN HIS OPINION, THIS REPRESENTED A
TACTICAL CHANGE IN IRANIAN POLICY, NOT A STRATEGIC ONE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT IN THE PAST, IRAN HAD TRIED TO COMPETE
WITH SAUDI ARABIA BY SETTING UP ITS OWN ISLAMIC
ORGANIZATIONS. THEY HAD FAILED IN THIS REGARD AND WERE
NOW ATTEMPTING TO WORK THROUGH THE EXISTING MACHINERY
INSTEAD. HOWEVER, THEIR GOALS REMAINED THE SAME --
REGIONAL HEGEMONY AND INTERVENTION IN ARAB AFFAIRS.
3. TURNING TO GCC RELATIONS WITH IRAN, PRINCE SAUD SAID
THAT OMAN WAS NO LONGER AS "FASCINATED" WITH IRAN AS IT
HAD ONCE BEEN. (LATER, THE PRINCE REMARKED THAT HE
RECOGNIZED THE OMANIS HAD TO ADOPT A DIFFERENT POSTURE ON
IRAN THAN SOME OTHER GCC STATES DUE TO THEIR CLOSE
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY TO IT.) IN FACT, PRINCE SAUD
CONTINUED, ALL GCC COUNTRIES DESIRED GOOD RELATIONS WITH
IRAN, BUT IRANIAN POLICIES (ITS MILITARY BUILD-UP,
AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE OF MILITARY EXERCISES, AND THE
ANTI-PEACE CONFERENCE IN TEHRAN) REMINDED EVERYONE THAT
THE ONLY REAL THREATS TO GULF SECURITY HAD COME FROM
STATES WITHIN THE REGION.
4. PRINCE SAUD CONTINUED THAT THE ONLY AREA WHERE IRAN
WAS BEING AT ALL REASONABLE WAS ON THE HOSTAGES IN
LEBANON. HOWEVER, EVEN HERE HE SAW AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE,
SAYING THAT THE IRANIANS' TRUE OBJECTIVE WAS TO GET THE
WESTERN ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OF IRAN LIFTED. THE IRANIANS
NOW REALIZE, HE SAID, THAT THEY MUST STRENGTHEN THEIR
ECONOMY IF THEY ARE TO ACHIEVE THEIR MILITARY AND
POLITICAL OBJECTIVES.
5. PRINCE SAUD CONCLUDED HIS CRITIQUE OF IRAN BY NOTING
THAT, FORTUNATELY, THE IRANIANS WERE NOT FOOLING ANY OF
THE GCC COUNTRIES, ALL OF WHOM HE SAID REGARDED IRAN AS A
THREAT NOT AN ALLY. THERE WOULD OF COURSE BE SPORADIC
ATTEMPTS TO SHOW GOOD NEIGHBORLINESS, SUCH AS THE RECENT
VISIT BY QATAR'S CROWN PRINCE, BUT MOST IRANIAN/GCC
PROJECTS, SUCH AS THE SWEETWATER PIPELINE TO QATAR UNDER
THE GULF, WOULD FALL OF THEIR OWN WEIGHT FOR ECONOMIC
REASONS, THE FOREIGN MINISTER CONCLUDED.
6. COMMENT: PRINCE SAUD'S CANDID REMARKS DEMONSTRATE
CLEARLY THAT DESPITE THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS, THERE IS NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND
ITS MAIN COMPETITOR FOR INFLUENCE IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.
FREEMAN