ĦĦĦĦKUWAIT CITY, Aug. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Saudi Arabia on Monday affirmedthe
solidness of its historical relations with the United States and vowed to
develop the ties to the best of mutual interests between the two allies,
Kuwait's official KUNA news agency reported.
ĦĦĦĦSaudi acting Minister of Information Madani Bin Abdul-Qadir Alaqi made the
remarks in a press statement after a cabinet meetingchaired by Saudi Crown
Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz.
ĦĦĦĦAlaqi noted in the statement that the cabinet was briefed on a briefing
prepared by a Pentagon consultative committee on July 10.
ĦĦĦĦThe cabinet expressed appreciation for the good statements by USofficials
concerning the Saudi-US relations and described the bilateral relations as
"deep-rooted and above suspicions," he added.
ĦĦĦĦMeanwhile, the cabinet also stressed the importance of the resolution
issued recently by the United Nations General Assembly, which called on Israel
to stop violence against the Palestinian people, pull out from the Palestinian
cities and withdraw from all occupied Palestinian lands.
ĦĦĦĦLast Tuesday, the Washington Post published the US briefing which described
Saudi Arabia as "an enemy of the United States" andaccused the oil-rich kingdom
of "supporting terrorism."
ĦĦĦĦThe briefing also called for seizing Saudi oil installations, assets and
external investments if Riyadh fails to heed Washington's terms to stop support
for Islamic organizations worldwide.
ĦĦĦĦLater in the day, the Pentagon released a statement distancing itself from
the briefing and called Saudi Arabia "a long-standing friend and ally".
ĦĦĦĦThe Pentagon statement said Saudis "cooperate fully with the United States
in the global war on terrorism and have the department's and administration's
deep appreciation."
ĦĦĦĦUS Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
also called their Saudi counterparts shortly after to assure them that the
briefing does not reflect the US policy and has left a "harmful" misimpression.
ĦĦĦĦFor its part, Saudi Arabia, a key regional ally of the United States, also
dismissed the briefing as "fabrication and outcome of imagination." Enditem
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