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Episode 1 | Foreign Challenges
The Sept. 11 attacks almost shattered Saudi-American relations. The participation of 15 Saudis in the biggest terrorist attack in the world placed Saudi Arabia, together with the entire Muslim world, on trial. This signaled the start of the toughest external challenge the King has faced. He took a firm stance in refuting allegations about his people and all Muslims.
The episode is replete with many examples of the King's efforts in the war on terror and in dissuading the U.S. from invading Iraq. The episode also tackles the resolution of the border crisis with Yemen, the trade partnerships with leading Asian countries, and how in his view, his most valuable treasure is the Two Holy Mosques-the destination of one billion Muslims.
The episode is replete with many examples of the King's efforts in the war on terror and in dissuading the U.S. from invading Iraq. The episode also tackles the resolution of the border crisis with Yemen, the trade partnerships with leading Asian countries, and how in his view, his most valuable treasure is the Two Holy Mosques-the destination of one billion Muslims.
The Episode Script
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Deputy Head of State): The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is one of the few leaders who has the qualities of thought, foresight and resolution. He does not speak his mind until he has studied his thoughts, and when he gives a suggestion, he does not withdraw it. These are very important leadership characteristics in a national leader.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Interior Minister): To tell you the truth, my master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is to me a brother and a leader. We all consider ourselves but his soldiers - carrying out our duties towards the country.
George Bush (U.S. President): King Abdullah is a personal friend of mine, and I respect him.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Interior Minister): To tell you the truth, my master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is to me a brother and a leader. We all consider ourselves but his soldiers - carrying out our duties towards the country.
George Bush (U.S. President): King Abdullah is a personal friend of mine, and I respect him.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): If there were a worse enemy of the Kingdom or a worse enemy of Islam and Muslims, they couldn't have done something as bad as what happened.
Nadim Sawalha: The attacks on the World Trade Center changed the course of the twenty-first century. The fact that 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis could have led to extreme breaches in the Saudi-American relationship.
George Bush (President of the USA): My first reaction was not, "Look, the Saudis are bad people." My first reaction was, "Evil people came and killed, and we'll react to protect ourselves."
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): I did not want to believe what happened. The Saudi ambassador in New York called me and said that the New York police had found a Saudi passport amongst the ruins, the clothes and the other items that fell from the planes, and that they know who it was and how it happened.
Nadim Sawalha: It was inevitable that the news would cause disturbance in the relations between the two countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Half an hour later, the Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell, called me and confirmed the news. "Bandar, tomorrow will be a hard day for Saudi-American relations", he said.
General Colin Powell (Former U.S. Secretary of State): There was great anger towards the act. It disturbed many because a lot of the murderers were Saudis. They came to the United States to study or for other purposes. They were welcomed here, but they responded with killing three thousand Americans.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): The extent of the disaster was huge. It was not just that a terrorist act had occurred, but also that - as I felt - it was a strategic terrorist act that targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Muslims, and Islam.
George Bush (President of the USA): I can hear you. I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
Nadim Sawalha: The Bush administration was confronted with a dilemma. While they were seeking to bring the terrorists to justice, they feared it might be misunderstood by their longtime friends.
General Colin Powell (Former U.S. Secretary of State): We did not want to give the impression to the Saudis or the Arab or Islamic worlds that America is now going to be against the Arabs and the Muslims, or especially against the Saudis. We all, Arabs, Christians and Jews, needed to get together to find a solution for the problem of terrorism.
George Bush (President of the USA): On the 11th of September, my reaction was that I promised myself to find those killers - those who organized the killing - and send them to be convicted.
Nadim Sawalha: At that time, there were a large number of Saudis in the United States and King Abdullah - then, Crown Prince - was concerned for their safety. This became one of Ambassador Bandar's main priorities.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Of course, I'm already the first person responsible for protecting the interests of Saudi Arabia in America, but what was added was the keen interest of King Abdullah and his taking important and sensitive decisions, in that he gave us an absolute authority to do what was needed regardless of regulations and laws to protect the interests of Saudi citizens in America, be it financial, legal, or otherwise.
Dr. Ghazi al-Quseibi (Saudi Minister of Labor): The difficult period of time was during the Manhattan events. I can say, without any exaggeration, that it was one of the toughest times of my life. I went through distress, only God knows about.
Nadim Sawalha: Those were dangerous times. Osama Bin Laden was aiming for a vicious American reaction to cause a breach in relations between the two countries. In a secret study by the Pentagon, the RAND Institute had classified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an enemy country and called upon President Bush to target the kingdom.
George Bush (President of the USA): I was focusing on the individuals and their leaders, but not on the citizens of any specific country in the Middle East, especially not Saudi Arabia.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): I am certain that President Bush refused all those suggestions and insisted that Saudi-American relations are strategic relations and that one of the goals of the operation was to damage the strategic Saudi-American relations. Therefore, we should not give the terrorists the chance to reach their goals.
Nadim Sawalha: Prince Bandar felt that Saudi Arabia was targeted by the terrorists even before the attack on America and that it was busy fighting its own battle against terrorism. Crown Prince Abdullah quickly started to heal the relations between the two countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): This was a very big effort, in which many brothers and colleagues in the embassy and the Kingdom participated to rebuild this relationship that was destroyed in a day - and we had built it over decades. Indeed, King Abdullah, may God preserve him, with his way of dealing with the events at that difficult time, achieved a miracle - how is it that Saudi-American relations were not destroyed and turned into antagonism, with emotions driving to where we know not what could have happened?
Nadim Sawalha: The catastrophe of September 11 could have been avoided entirely if the early warnings were discovered sooner.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Saudi national security was thoroughly monitoring the activities of most of the terrorists with accuracy and diligence. Had American security cooperated more seriously and honestly with the Saudi security, I imagine we would have avoided what happened.
Nadim Sawalha: September 11 changed America's foreign policies completely. Since then, fighting terror overshadowed the White House's relations with the rest of the world. This policy resulted in the invasion and occupation of Iraq but this target was very close to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ghazi al-Qseibi (Saudi Minister of Labor): As he could comprehend America's anger, he knew that this American anger was one thing, but that it should not lead to the destruction of the world. War on terror is not war on the rest of the world.
Nadim Sawalha: The Saudis saw that attacking Iraq will increase the levels of violence in the Middle East and that it will damage Saudi-American relations, will divert focus away from the Palestinian peace process and will increase terror in the region.
Nadim Sawalha: The attacks on the World Trade Center changed the course of the twenty-first century. The fact that 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis could have led to extreme breaches in the Saudi-American relationship.
George Bush (President of the USA): My first reaction was not, "Look, the Saudis are bad people." My first reaction was, "Evil people came and killed, and we'll react to protect ourselves."
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): I did not want to believe what happened. The Saudi ambassador in New York called me and said that the New York police had found a Saudi passport amongst the ruins, the clothes and the other items that fell from the planes, and that they know who it was and how it happened.
Nadim Sawalha: It was inevitable that the news would cause disturbance in the relations between the two countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Half an hour later, the Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell, called me and confirmed the news. "Bandar, tomorrow will be a hard day for Saudi-American relations", he said.
General Colin Powell (Former U.S. Secretary of State): There was great anger towards the act. It disturbed many because a lot of the murderers were Saudis. They came to the United States to study or for other purposes. They were welcomed here, but they responded with killing three thousand Americans.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): The extent of the disaster was huge. It was not just that a terrorist act had occurred, but also that - as I felt - it was a strategic terrorist act that targeted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Muslims, and Islam.
George Bush (President of the USA): I can hear you. I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
Nadim Sawalha: The Bush administration was confronted with a dilemma. While they were seeking to bring the terrorists to justice, they feared it might be misunderstood by their longtime friends.
General Colin Powell (Former U.S. Secretary of State): We did not want to give the impression to the Saudis or the Arab or Islamic worlds that America is now going to be against the Arabs and the Muslims, or especially against the Saudis. We all, Arabs, Christians and Jews, needed to get together to find a solution for the problem of terrorism.
George Bush (President of the USA): On the 11th of September, my reaction was that I promised myself to find those killers - those who organized the killing - and send them to be convicted.
Nadim Sawalha: At that time, there were a large number of Saudis in the United States and King Abdullah - then, Crown Prince - was concerned for their safety. This became one of Ambassador Bandar's main priorities.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Of course, I'm already the first person responsible for protecting the interests of Saudi Arabia in America, but what was added was the keen interest of King Abdullah and his taking important and sensitive decisions, in that he gave us an absolute authority to do what was needed regardless of regulations and laws to protect the interests of Saudi citizens in America, be it financial, legal, or otherwise.
Dr. Ghazi al-Quseibi (Saudi Minister of Labor): The difficult period of time was during the Manhattan events. I can say, without any exaggeration, that it was one of the toughest times of my life. I went through distress, only God knows about.
Nadim Sawalha: Those were dangerous times. Osama Bin Laden was aiming for a vicious American reaction to cause a breach in relations between the two countries. In a secret study by the Pentagon, the RAND Institute had classified the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as an enemy country and called upon President Bush to target the kingdom.
George Bush (President of the USA): I was focusing on the individuals and their leaders, but not on the citizens of any specific country in the Middle East, especially not Saudi Arabia.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): I am certain that President Bush refused all those suggestions and insisted that Saudi-American relations are strategic relations and that one of the goals of the operation was to damage the strategic Saudi-American relations. Therefore, we should not give the terrorists the chance to reach their goals.
Nadim Sawalha: Prince Bandar felt that Saudi Arabia was targeted by the terrorists even before the attack on America and that it was busy fighting its own battle against terrorism. Crown Prince Abdullah quickly started to heal the relations between the two countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): This was a very big effort, in which many brothers and colleagues in the embassy and the Kingdom participated to rebuild this relationship that was destroyed in a day - and we had built it over decades. Indeed, King Abdullah, may God preserve him, with his way of dealing with the events at that difficult time, achieved a miracle - how is it that Saudi-American relations were not destroyed and turned into antagonism, with emotions driving to where we know not what could have happened?
Nadim Sawalha: The catastrophe of September 11 could have been avoided entirely if the early warnings were discovered sooner.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): Saudi national security was thoroughly monitoring the activities of most of the terrorists with accuracy and diligence. Had American security cooperated more seriously and honestly with the Saudi security, I imagine we would have avoided what happened.
Nadim Sawalha: September 11 changed America's foreign policies completely. Since then, fighting terror overshadowed the White House's relations with the rest of the world. This policy resulted in the invasion and occupation of Iraq but this target was very close to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ghazi al-Qseibi (Saudi Minister of Labor): As he could comprehend America's anger, he knew that this American anger was one thing, but that it should not lead to the destruction of the world. War on terror is not war on the rest of the world.
Nadim Sawalha: The Saudis saw that attacking Iraq will increase the levels of violence in the Middle East and that it will damage Saudi-American relations, will divert focus away from the Palestinian peace process and will increase terror in the region.
Nadim Sawalha: The issue of the borders between Saudi Arabia and Yemen was an unfinished project, with the borders remaining uncertain for more than sixty years. At times, incidents of smuggling and border disagreements led to armed skirmishes between the two countries. Suddenly, the two sides decided it was time to resolve the conflict.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Crown Prince): I had the honor of being entrusted by the higher authorities to remove any obstacles to improving relations with Yemen, ending any conflict with Yemen, and drawing the borders with Yemen.
Prince Saud al-Faisal (Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs): We are one people. How can we differentiate between Yemen and Saudi Arabia? The tribes here and there are from one blood, one ethnicity and one religion. The unresolved conflict over the border remained like a knife in the side of the two countries.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): It is difficult indeed to determine the economic and political dimension of the damage, but there is no doubt that resolving the border problem represented a psychological divide between the citizens and government of Yemen with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And perhaps the same thing from the Kingdom towards Yemen.
Nadim Sawalha: The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is one of the oldest and longest in the history of the Arab World - a conflict over borders that stretches 1,500 kilometers across the desert and the mountains. The geography of the area did not make it any easier to draw clear borders and the inter-connectedness of the local tribes complicated the process further.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): The tribes do not know what the borders are, especially when their people exist on both sides of the borders.
Nadim Sawalha: In a bold step, King Abdullah - then Crown Prince - and the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, resolved to find a fundamental solution to the conflict.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Minister of Interior): On one of my visits to Yemen, I met with His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh. There were accusations toward the kingdom, but Yemenis know what Saudi Arabia does for their country. I asked the president one question: "If you were King Abdullah, do you have much to gain from having good relations with Yemen?" Saleh replied, "Certainly, not". Then I asked, "Would you like the King to work against your country?" This shows that our hopes and goals are noble, and that we do nothing but good for our Yemeni brothers.
Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd (President of the Saudi Ministers Council): Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz had foresight in solving the conflict over the borders with Yemen. Yemen is a partner and a neighboring country. We are brothers. Any conflicts are bound to be caused by the unresolved issue over borders.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): The borders could put a Yemeni village on the Saudi side and vice versa. The agreement was that the border can be adjusted to put that Yemeni village back on the Yemeni side and the Saudi one back on Saudi land.
Nadim Sawalha: In Jeddah, after a tiring set of negotiations, it was announced that a solution was reached on one of the longest and oldest border conflicts in the world.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Crown Prince): Indeed, a long meeting took place between King Abdullah - then, Crown Prince - and President Ali Saleh. They spent more than eight hours in one session, which was not adjourned until a document was signed with the broad framework for a plan to end the border [conflict] with Yemen, and end the tense relations or those seeking to fish in murky waters.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Minister of Interior): That night, with the participation of the Yemeni president, the prime minister and members of his government, the matter was closed for good, as points of view were mutual.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Crown Prince): At six o'clock in the morning, I received a phone call from a Saudi brother saying that our Yemeni brothers - the experts - wanted to modify certain paragraphs in the document, approved by King Abdullah and President Ali Abdullah Saleh, or something along those lines. Indeed, I spoke to Ali Saleh and woke him up - as it was around six o'clock in the morning - and relayed what happened. He was annoyed and ordered not a sentence be changed of what he had already agreed upon.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): This is a model of how two countries were able resolve a crisis which hindered their relations for more than 66 years. The political leadership realized its responsibility first towards their people and also for stability of the region. They also realized that these borders would probably disappear in the future for when an economic partnership and mutual interest are secured, borders - as we see nowadays in Europe - would have no real value.
Nadim Sawalha: The region was stable for a while until the American invasion over Iraq took place, which by 2003 had become clearly inevitable. Saudi Arabia was worried about the consequences. In March, the Arab leaders met at Sharm al-Sheikh to discuss the crisis. Crown Prince, Prince Abdullah, decided that, contrary to what happened during the war to liberate Kuwait in 1991, he will not allow the use of Saudi soil for American military bases in the new war on Iraq.
Prince Turki al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the USA): The Kingdom was not the only country which refused to cooperate with the USA, or that clarified to the Americans that this is a step with bad consequences, not just for the Americans but also for the entire region.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Crown Prince): I had the honor of being entrusted by the higher authorities to remove any obstacles to improving relations with Yemen, ending any conflict with Yemen, and drawing the borders with Yemen.
Prince Saud al-Faisal (Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs): We are one people. How can we differentiate between Yemen and Saudi Arabia? The tribes here and there are from one blood, one ethnicity and one religion. The unresolved conflict over the border remained like a knife in the side of the two countries.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): It is difficult indeed to determine the economic and political dimension of the damage, but there is no doubt that resolving the border problem represented a psychological divide between the citizens and government of Yemen with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And perhaps the same thing from the Kingdom towards Yemen.
Nadim Sawalha: The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is one of the oldest and longest in the history of the Arab World - a conflict over borders that stretches 1,500 kilometers across the desert and the mountains. The geography of the area did not make it any easier to draw clear borders and the inter-connectedness of the local tribes complicated the process further.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): The tribes do not know what the borders are, especially when their people exist on both sides of the borders.
Nadim Sawalha: In a bold step, King Abdullah - then Crown Prince - and the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, resolved to find a fundamental solution to the conflict.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Minister of Interior): On one of my visits to Yemen, I met with His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh. There were accusations toward the kingdom, but Yemenis know what Saudi Arabia does for their country. I asked the president one question: "If you were King Abdullah, do you have much to gain from having good relations with Yemen?" Saleh replied, "Certainly, not". Then I asked, "Would you like the King to work against your country?" This shows that our hopes and goals are noble, and that we do nothing but good for our Yemeni brothers.
Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd (President of the Saudi Ministers Council): Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz had foresight in solving the conflict over the borders with Yemen. Yemen is a partner and a neighboring country. We are brothers. Any conflicts are bound to be caused by the unresolved issue over borders.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): The borders could put a Yemeni village on the Saudi side and vice versa. The agreement was that the border can be adjusted to put that Yemeni village back on the Yemeni side and the Saudi one back on Saudi land.
Nadim Sawalha: In Jeddah, after a tiring set of negotiations, it was announced that a solution was reached on one of the longest and oldest border conflicts in the world.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Crown Prince): Indeed, a long meeting took place between King Abdullah - then, Crown Prince - and President Ali Saleh. They spent more than eight hours in one session, which was not adjourned until a document was signed with the broad framework for a plan to end the border [conflict] with Yemen, and end the tense relations or those seeking to fish in murky waters.
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz (Saudi Minister of Interior): That night, with the participation of the Yemeni president, the prime minister and members of his government, the matter was closed for good, as points of view were mutual.
Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz (Crown Prince): At six o'clock in the morning, I received a phone call from a Saudi brother saying that our Yemeni brothers - the experts - wanted to modify certain paragraphs in the document, approved by King Abdullah and President Ali Abdullah Saleh, or something along those lines. Indeed, I spoke to Ali Saleh and woke him up - as it was around six o'clock in the morning - and relayed what happened. He was annoyed and ordered not a sentence be changed of what he had already agreed upon.
Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qurabi (Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs): This is a model of how two countries were able resolve a crisis which hindered their relations for more than 66 years. The political leadership realized its responsibility first towards their people and also for stability of the region. They also realized that these borders would probably disappear in the future for when an economic partnership and mutual interest are secured, borders - as we see nowadays in Europe - would have no real value.
Nadim Sawalha: The region was stable for a while until the American invasion over Iraq took place, which by 2003 had become clearly inevitable. Saudi Arabia was worried about the consequences. In March, the Arab leaders met at Sharm al-Sheikh to discuss the crisis. Crown Prince, Prince Abdullah, decided that, contrary to what happened during the war to liberate Kuwait in 1991, he will not allow the use of Saudi soil for American military bases in the new war on Iraq.
Prince Turki al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the USA): The Kingdom was not the only country which refused to cooperate with the USA, or that clarified to the Americans that this is a step with bad consequences, not just for the Americans but also for the entire region.
Nadim Sawalha: In another part of the Middle East, Crown Prince Abdullah used his diplomatic influence to resolve an 11-year-old crisis. After the downing of a Pan American plane over the village of Lockerbie in Scotland, an international boycott of Libya was initiated. Prince Abdullah played a key role in aiding the Libyans who were suffering from the sanctions.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): A sister Arab country under siege and its people had to pay for the consequences, with no solution in sight. Until when? How? What happened is that, at the time, when the Kingdom was asked to help, it coincided with the change in leadership in both Britain and America; President Clinton came and Tony Blair became Prime Minister.
Tony Blair (Former British Prime Minister): We had this long conflict with Libya over Lockerbie. But, we wanted to establish a different relationship with them. Unfortunately, we did not have suitable speakers to mediate between us and the Libyans and Colonel Gaddafi.
Nadim Sawalha: All prior attempts at mediation over the Libyan crisis had failed. However, Crown Prince Abdullah put his efforts together with Nelson Mandela's to resolve the complex situation.
Tony Blair (Former British Prime Minister): During my discussions with then Prince Abdullah, we focused on what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could do for us and their help was substantial.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): When King Abdullah decided to use the international influence and weight of the Kingdom to assist Libya and to lift the siege over the Libyan people, following a request from the Libyan leadership, I was assigned to initiate the process. I also learned that Nelson Mandela had the same interests.
Nelson Mandela (Former President of South Africa): This issue kept on threatening the international community for a century with U.N. sanctions imposed on the country and people of Libya.
Nadim Sawalha: The Saudi plan proposed the submission of just the Libyan suspects to a neutral court with a guarantee by the United Nations, and both sides approved. And so King Abdullah's intercession ended the boycott of Libya that lasted eleven years.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): When I informed King Abdullah that President Mandela was interested, he directed me to South Africa with a proposal to Mandela that we enter into a partnership in this matter to reach a result.
Nelson Mandela (Former President of South Africa): Finally, our mutual efforts with His Highness Prince Abdullah managed to solve this international problem.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): I believe King Abdullah's decision was a wise one. Why? Because by this, you have offered a mediation team with two parts. One part satisfies the conservatives in Britain and America and the other part satisfies the liberals in America and Britain. Mandela is considered a personality with huge credibility in general and especially with Democrats in America and the Labour party in Britain.
Nadim Sawalha: Libya was a difficult foreign policy challenge for Crown Prince Abdullah so he made all parties interested in the success of the deal. President Clinton was willing if Blair would agree. The latter showed his readiness to do so if the Kingdom was determined to resolve the problem.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Within all these circumstances, we reached a solution that maintained the dignity of the Libyan state as well as the Libyan people's interests.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): A sister Arab country under siege and its people had to pay for the consequences, with no solution in sight. Until when? How? What happened is that, at the time, when the Kingdom was asked to help, it coincided with the change in leadership in both Britain and America; President Clinton came and Tony Blair became Prime Minister.
Tony Blair (Former British Prime Minister): We had this long conflict with Libya over Lockerbie. But, we wanted to establish a different relationship with them. Unfortunately, we did not have suitable speakers to mediate between us and the Libyans and Colonel Gaddafi.
Nadim Sawalha: All prior attempts at mediation over the Libyan crisis had failed. However, Crown Prince Abdullah put his efforts together with Nelson Mandela's to resolve the complex situation.
Tony Blair (Former British Prime Minister): During my discussions with then Prince Abdullah, we focused on what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could do for us and their help was substantial.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): When King Abdullah decided to use the international influence and weight of the Kingdom to assist Libya and to lift the siege over the Libyan people, following a request from the Libyan leadership, I was assigned to initiate the process. I also learned that Nelson Mandela had the same interests.
Nelson Mandela (Former President of South Africa): This issue kept on threatening the international community for a century with U.N. sanctions imposed on the country and people of Libya.
Nadim Sawalha: The Saudi plan proposed the submission of just the Libyan suspects to a neutral court with a guarantee by the United Nations, and both sides approved. And so King Abdullah's intercession ended the boycott of Libya that lasted eleven years.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (Head of the Saudi National Security Council): When I informed King Abdullah that President Mandela was interested, he directed me to South Africa with a proposal to Mandela that we enter into a partnership in this matter to reach a result.
Nelson Mandela (Former President of South Africa): Finally, our mutual efforts with His Highness Prince Abdullah managed to solve this international problem.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): I believe King Abdullah's decision was a wise one. Why? Because by this, you have offered a mediation team with two parts. One part satisfies the conservatives in Britain and America and the other part satisfies the liberals in America and Britain. Mandela is considered a personality with huge credibility in general and especially with Democrats in America and the Labour party in Britain.
Nadim Sawalha: Libya was a difficult foreign policy challenge for Crown Prince Abdullah so he made all parties interested in the success of the deal. President Clinton was willing if Blair would agree. The latter showed his readiness to do so if the Kingdom was determined to resolve the problem.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Within all these circumstances, we reached a solution that maintained the dignity of the Libyan state as well as the Libyan people's interests.
George Bush (American President): My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite Prince Abdullah's warnings of disastrous consequences, Washington commenced the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. On April 9, the capital Baghdad fell, and after occupying the country, the United States began controlling its government. Yet again, American policy was contrary to Saudi advice.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): In my personal opinion, if he took into consideration King Abdullah's advice, 90% of the problems we see now in Iraq would not exist.
Robert Gordon (Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): They wanted us indeed to decapitate the leadership of the Baath regime, but to keep its infrastructure, army and Baath Party and all its political mechanisms including the ministers. They wanted us to put in new heads for all these organizations so that they would be become more loyal to the new regime. Of course, this did not happen.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Whether you agree or not, what has happened has happened. As it is said, speaking about the past is pointless. So, the focus now should be on how to maintain Iraq as an independent and unified Arab country that has the minimum required level of harmony between its groups and sects.
Nadim Sawalha: In May 2003, and despite the Kingdom's warnings, the U.S. disbanded the army and all institutions related to the former regime. A few months later, anarchy spread throughout Iraq after the breakdown of law and order.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States): Instead of the American army being received with flowers, roses, glorifications, etc., there is now popular resistance in Iraq to this invasion.
Nadim Sawalha: In July 2004, Crown Prince Abdullah proposed a plan for the Americans to save Iraq from the continuing anarchy.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): He offered to bring Islamic forces to replace the foreign forces, with a condition that there be a referendum of the Iraqi people.
Nadim Sawalha: A few weeks after this plan was proposed, a dispute took place over who would control the Islamic forces, so the plan collapsed and violence escalated in Iraq.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the United States): What happened is civil war and a destruction of infrastructure; suicide bombers blowing themselves up in public places, Sunni killing Shi'i and Shi'i killing Sunni and human rights becoming nonexistent. In other words, all of what happened is the exact opposite of what was pictured as the American idealist ambition to plant a good seed - if that's the appropriate expression - in the land of Iraq to yield a fruitful tree.
Nadim Sawalha: Neighboring forces exploited the instability in Iraq and regional competition increased which led to increased Saudi fears of a regional war.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): There was a force confronting the Iranian hegemony in Iraq that is no longer there leaving a vacuum that the Iranians believe they can fill now. For there to be Shiite control is one thing, but to for your biggest enemy to head that control is another matter.
Nadim Sawalha: Since 1979, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been tense after the exporting of hostile activities to the Kingdom. The Iranian leadership was openly hostile and it reached the level of confrontation during the pilgrimage seasons. The relations deteriorated to the point of boycott. When Hashim Rafsanjani became the President of Iran, he opened the door of communication with Crown Prince Abdullah and the two leaders met at the Islamic Summit in Pakistan in 1997.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): I think that the chemistry between the two was good as they exchanged positive signals.
Nadim Sawalha: Not much time remained for Rafsanjani in office as he lost the presidency to Mohammad Khatami in May. A few months later, Crown Prince Abdullah visited Tehran in what was the first visit of a Saudi leader to Iran since the revolution.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): It was a historical visit as the President of the Republic, Khatami, along with the former president and the engineer and architect of the Iranian-Saudi relations, Rafsanjani, next to Prince Abdullah stood together and the three of them led the conference. During one of the nights, it was snowing heavily in Tehran and the Saudi King looked at Borz Mountain and said, "I would like to go to the mountain." Despite the security concerns and dangers, Khatami made arrangements for Prince Abdullah and his party to go north of Tehran to stand in the snow and rain, and the Saudi monarch looked at Tehran which was asleep. I think this was an interesting experience.
Nadim Sawalha: Rafsanjani, as a former president, continued working on improving Saudi-Iranian relations. He went to the Kingdom for the first time in February 1998.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): When Rafsanjani came to the Kingdom, I think the visit was for two days but he stayed about 20 days during which he roamed the country and visited all the regions and he left with an impression of the Kingdom that was not in the Iranian imagination.
Nadim Sawalha: And Rafsanjani was impressed by what he saw of development, infrastructure projects, and the concern for the wellbeing of individuals.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): He found development, he found basic infrastructure projects in the Kingdom, and he found concern for the people's issues and saw a true picture of the Kingdom that was absent from the minds of Iranians. Truth be told, he spread this picture when he returned to Tehran and the policy of rapprochement and coordination began, whether political or economic.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): The Saudi Kingdom was very generous with Iran.
Nadim Sawalha: In May 1999, it was Khatami's turn to make a visit to the Kingdom so that he became the first Iranian president to perform the Pilgrimage since the Islamic revolution.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): And that was a big honoring of Khatami. The Saudi Kingdom was, I always say Saudi Arabia was generous toward Iran and it allowed Iranian institutions and companies to enter the Saudi market with no reservations.
Nadim Sawalha: But in 2005, relations underwent a new test after Ahmadinejad became President. Tensions in the region increased due to Nejad's policies, especially concerning Iraq.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): Iran supports part of the Iraqi entity, i.e. Iran supports part of the Da'awa Party, the Higher Council, the pro-Sadr movements, and the Mahdi Army. At the same time, it supports the Sunni terrorist groups such as Ansar Al-Islam and other groups with financing and arms.
Nadim Sawalha: As tensions increased, the Saudi King Abdullah invited Ahmadinejad to visit Riyadh to calm the situation.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States): The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, in continuing his dealings with Iran, treated them from the point of view that we deal with you as counterparts with full transparency and full honesty and we are not embarrassed to hear your criticisms and comments of us and we are equally not embarrassed to express our comments and criticisms of Iran.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): This man could not win the Saudis as Khatami did. Despite the fact that he visited the Kingdom for one day and met the Saudi King, I don't think any chemistry existed between them similar to Khatami and Rafsanjani and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): I think that the King follows the saying of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". He is watching Ahmadinejad and wants to maintain a line of communication between them to see what they can do together. But, I don't think that he trusts him.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite Prince Abdullah's warnings of disastrous consequences, Washington commenced the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003. On April 9, the capital Baghdad fell, and after occupying the country, the United States began controlling its government. Yet again, American policy was contrary to Saudi advice.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): In my personal opinion, if he took into consideration King Abdullah's advice, 90% of the problems we see now in Iraq would not exist.
Robert Gordon (Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): They wanted us indeed to decapitate the leadership of the Baath regime, but to keep its infrastructure, army and Baath Party and all its political mechanisms including the ministers. They wanted us to put in new heads for all these organizations so that they would be become more loyal to the new regime. Of course, this did not happen.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Whether you agree or not, what has happened has happened. As it is said, speaking about the past is pointless. So, the focus now should be on how to maintain Iraq as an independent and unified Arab country that has the minimum required level of harmony between its groups and sects.
Nadim Sawalha: In May 2003, and despite the Kingdom's warnings, the U.S. disbanded the army and all institutions related to the former regime. A few months later, anarchy spread throughout Iraq after the breakdown of law and order.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States): Instead of the American army being received with flowers, roses, glorifications, etc., there is now popular resistance in Iraq to this invasion.
Nadim Sawalha: In July 2004, Crown Prince Abdullah proposed a plan for the Americans to save Iraq from the continuing anarchy.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): He offered to bring Islamic forces to replace the foreign forces, with a condition that there be a referendum of the Iraqi people.
Nadim Sawalha: A few weeks after this plan was proposed, a dispute took place over who would control the Islamic forces, so the plan collapsed and violence escalated in Iraq.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the United States): What happened is civil war and a destruction of infrastructure; suicide bombers blowing themselves up in public places, Sunni killing Shi'i and Shi'i killing Sunni and human rights becoming nonexistent. In other words, all of what happened is the exact opposite of what was pictured as the American idealist ambition to plant a good seed - if that's the appropriate expression - in the land of Iraq to yield a fruitful tree.
Nadim Sawalha: Neighboring forces exploited the instability in Iraq and regional competition increased which led to increased Saudi fears of a regional war.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): There was a force confronting the Iranian hegemony in Iraq that is no longer there leaving a vacuum that the Iranians believe they can fill now. For there to be Shiite control is one thing, but to for your biggest enemy to head that control is another matter.
Nadim Sawalha: Since 1979, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been tense after the exporting of hostile activities to the Kingdom. The Iranian leadership was openly hostile and it reached the level of confrontation during the pilgrimage seasons. The relations deteriorated to the point of boycott. When Hashim Rafsanjani became the President of Iran, he opened the door of communication with Crown Prince Abdullah and the two leaders met at the Islamic Summit in Pakistan in 1997.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): I think that the chemistry between the two was good as they exchanged positive signals.
Nadim Sawalha: Not much time remained for Rafsanjani in office as he lost the presidency to Mohammad Khatami in May. A few months later, Crown Prince Abdullah visited Tehran in what was the first visit of a Saudi leader to Iran since the revolution.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): It was a historical visit as the President of the Republic, Khatami, along with the former president and the engineer and architect of the Iranian-Saudi relations, Rafsanjani, next to Prince Abdullah stood together and the three of them led the conference. During one of the nights, it was snowing heavily in Tehran and the Saudi King looked at Borz Mountain and said, "I would like to go to the mountain." Despite the security concerns and dangers, Khatami made arrangements for Prince Abdullah and his party to go north of Tehran to stand in the snow and rain, and the Saudi monarch looked at Tehran which was asleep. I think this was an interesting experience.
Nadim Sawalha: Rafsanjani, as a former president, continued working on improving Saudi-Iranian relations. He went to the Kingdom for the first time in February 1998.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): When Rafsanjani came to the Kingdom, I think the visit was for two days but he stayed about 20 days during which he roamed the country and visited all the regions and he left with an impression of the Kingdom that was not in the Iranian imagination.
Nadim Sawalha: And Rafsanjani was impressed by what he saw of development, infrastructure projects, and the concern for the wellbeing of individuals.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): He found development, he found basic infrastructure projects in the Kingdom, and he found concern for the people's issues and saw a true picture of the Kingdom that was absent from the minds of Iranians. Truth be told, he spread this picture when he returned to Tehran and the policy of rapprochement and coordination began, whether political or economic.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): The Saudi Kingdom was very generous with Iran.
Nadim Sawalha: In May 1999, it was Khatami's turn to make a visit to the Kingdom so that he became the first Iranian president to perform the Pilgrimage since the Islamic revolution.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): And that was a big honoring of Khatami. The Saudi Kingdom was, I always say Saudi Arabia was generous toward Iran and it allowed Iranian institutions and companies to enter the Saudi market with no reservations.
Nadim Sawalha: But in 2005, relations underwent a new test after Ahmadinejad became President. Tensions in the region increased due to Nejad's policies, especially concerning Iraq.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab- Iranian Studies): Iran supports part of the Iraqi entity, i.e. Iran supports part of the Da'awa Party, the Higher Council, the pro-Sadr movements, and the Mahdi Army. At the same time, it supports the Sunni terrorist groups such as Ansar Al-Islam and other groups with financing and arms.
Nadim Sawalha: As tensions increased, the Saudi King Abdullah invited Ahmadinejad to visit Riyadh to calm the situation.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador to the United States): The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, in continuing his dealings with Iran, treated them from the point of view that we deal with you as counterparts with full transparency and full honesty and we are not embarrassed to hear your criticisms and comments of us and we are equally not embarrassed to express our comments and criticisms of Iran.
Dr. Ali Rida Nouri Zada (Center for Arab-Iranian Studies): This man could not win the Saudis as Khatami did. Despite the fact that he visited the Kingdom for one day and met the Saudi King, I don't think any chemistry existed between them similar to Khatami and Rafsanjani and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): I think that the King follows the saying of "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". He is watching Ahmadinejad and wants to maintain a line of communication between them to see what they can do together. But, I don't think that he trusts him.
Nadim Sawalha: Since he became King, Abdullah struck a new path in his foreign policy, opening the Kingdom towards rising countries such as Russia, China, and India.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): They see the growing economic power of China and India and their increasing appetite for oil makes natural partners for Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi): King Abdullah is the first King of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom to open new doors to the East. And let's not forget his historic visit to the three major countries of China, India, and Japan. This is a new door for policy and dealing with these great countries.
Nadim Sawalha: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah showed his new direction through his tour of Asia in 2006, where he stopped first in China, that became the biggest buyer of Saudi oil.
Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad: There's an important event that happened in China that I think is very important indeed. Their meeting was when he was Crown Prince and Zemin was China's President. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques always referred to China as the Great China. Zemin said to the King that God gave you (KSA) oil, which is a great wealth. The King raised his hand, noting that the greatest wealth is the House of God and the Two Holy Mosques. He said oil is a means and not an end, adding that just as China has 1.2 billion people, Saudi is home to 1.2 billion Muslims. This shows the faith of the King. Even Zemin looked at him, saying it was true.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): When the King met Hu Jintao, there were Chinese speakers in his retinue for they had sent Saudi students to China to learn the language. That shows the depth that this relation has started to have.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): Establishing relations with countries that we did not have relations with before, like China, India and Russia, means the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a strategic location. This may not occur to people, but the primary trade particularly in the oil sector with Asia and East Asia is more than that.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the United States): First of all, the Kingdom doesn't antagonize anyone in the world. On the contrary, it seeks to have relations with all based on mutual respect and common interests with these countries. Our openness to countries like China or India, and even Russia, is no different than the openness of other countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): King Abdullah's first official visit, after becoming a King, was to China. This was a political step at the highest level and a smart strategic one. His relations with the countries, with which there are already bilateral relations, are still maintained well. The message that was sent to the world included a strategic reading of the Kingdom's future.
Nadim Sawalha: And from China, the King headed to India. And in the spirit of globalization and openness, he was building bridges between the Kingdom and countries with which it had no prior relations.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): This being the first diplomatic trip for the new King after assuming the responsibilities of ruler, reflects how the King thinks strategically and how he makes his calculations intelligently.
Nadim Sawalha: Diplomacy isn't only calculated strategy. The King's personality also made an impression on India's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaswant Singh.
Jaswant Singh (Former Indian Foreign Affairs Minister): It's very rare that a person gets a racehorse as a gift from an Arab Prince. But His Highness honored me with a generous gift of a stud and a horse, and this is how you get a line of purebred horses.
Nadim Sawalha: And in 2001, Jaswant Singh met with then Crown Prince Abdullah in the Kingdom. It was the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister.
Jaswant Singh (Former Indian Foreign Affairs Minister): India and the Kingdom deal with each other as great nations. I think this came as a result of the accomplishment and that visit should be credited.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite the success of the Crown Prince in opening up to the East, the biggest challenge lies in dealing with the consequences of the American invasion of Iraq.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Today we have a dangerous problem in front of us, and we cannot say "Oh, it's America's mistake." Even if it's the American's mistake - and it is America's mistake - saying that doesn't solve the problem for us. Tomorrow America will take its forces and return home, and so what do we do in the region then?
Nadim Sawalha: The Americans often did not feel comfortable with King Abdullah's diplomacy, but it still earned their admiration.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): So, now it is incumbent on all of us to unite to solve this issue and to stabilize the situation in Iraq on the basis of Iraq as a unified Arab country with all its sects and groups.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (Emir of Kuwait): We were always, as the Gulf countries, looking to him as head of these countries, and leader of this region, deserving of it with his wisdom and intelligence. We hope God willing that his leadership is to the benefit of this region.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): His Majesty, the King, brought a new kind of leadership where we don't say something if we don't implement it and we don't want to commit to something without being sincere and honest in it.
Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi): I repeat and stress that His Highness King Abdullah is the one person that no one disagrees that he's the father and leader of all, a leader and a role model. An example moving forward, something very important for us Arabs.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite the turmoil, the Arab region has never known a leader like King Abdullah, who seeks to preempt crises by resolving them and realizing the most difficult goals for the sake of liberating the lands and attaining security and peace in the Arab and Muslim nations.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): They see the growing economic power of China and India and their increasing appetite for oil makes natural partners for Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi): King Abdullah is the first King of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom to open new doors to the East. And let's not forget his historic visit to the three major countries of China, India, and Japan. This is a new door for policy and dealing with these great countries.
Nadim Sawalha: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah showed his new direction through his tour of Asia in 2006, where he stopped first in China, that became the biggest buyer of Saudi oil.
Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad: There's an important event that happened in China that I think is very important indeed. Their meeting was when he was Crown Prince and Zemin was China's President. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques always referred to China as the Great China. Zemin said to the King that God gave you (KSA) oil, which is a great wealth. The King raised his hand, noting that the greatest wealth is the House of God and the Two Holy Mosques. He said oil is a means and not an end, adding that just as China has 1.2 billion people, Saudi is home to 1.2 billion Muslims. This shows the faith of the King. Even Zemin looked at him, saying it was true.
Robert Gordon (Former American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): When the King met Hu Jintao, there were Chinese speakers in his retinue for they had sent Saudi students to China to learn the language. That shows the depth that this relation has started to have.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): Establishing relations with countries that we did not have relations with before, like China, India and Russia, means the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a strategic location. This may not occur to people, but the primary trade particularly in the oil sector with Asia and East Asia is more than that.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Former Saudi Ambassador in the United States): First of all, the Kingdom doesn't antagonize anyone in the world. On the contrary, it seeks to have relations with all based on mutual respect and common interests with these countries. Our openness to countries like China or India, and even Russia, is no different than the openness of other countries.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): King Abdullah's first official visit, after becoming a King, was to China. This was a political step at the highest level and a smart strategic one. His relations with the countries, with which there are already bilateral relations, are still maintained well. The message that was sent to the world included a strategic reading of the Kingdom's future.
Nadim Sawalha: And from China, the King headed to India. And in the spirit of globalization and openness, he was building bridges between the Kingdom and countries with which it had no prior relations.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): This being the first diplomatic trip for the new King after assuming the responsibilities of ruler, reflects how the King thinks strategically and how he makes his calculations intelligently.
Nadim Sawalha: Diplomacy isn't only calculated strategy. The King's personality also made an impression on India's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jaswant Singh.
Jaswant Singh (Former Indian Foreign Affairs Minister): It's very rare that a person gets a racehorse as a gift from an Arab Prince. But His Highness honored me with a generous gift of a stud and a horse, and this is how you get a line of purebred horses.
Nadim Sawalha: And in 2001, Jaswant Singh met with then Crown Prince Abdullah in the Kingdom. It was the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister.
Jaswant Singh (Former Indian Foreign Affairs Minister): India and the Kingdom deal with each other as great nations. I think this came as a result of the accomplishment and that visit should be credited.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite the success of the Crown Prince in opening up to the East, the biggest challenge lies in dealing with the consequences of the American invasion of Iraq.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): Today we have a dangerous problem in front of us, and we cannot say "Oh, it's America's mistake." Even if it's the American's mistake - and it is America's mistake - saying that doesn't solve the problem for us. Tomorrow America will take its forces and return home, and so what do we do in the region then?
Nadim Sawalha: The Americans often did not feel comfortable with King Abdullah's diplomacy, but it still earned their admiration.
Prince Bandar Bin Sultan (President of the Saudi National Security Council): So, now it is incumbent on all of us to unite to solve this issue and to stabilize the situation in Iraq on the basis of Iraq as a unified Arab country with all its sects and groups.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (Emir of Kuwait): We were always, as the Gulf countries, looking to him as head of these countries, and leader of this region, deserving of it with his wisdom and intelligence. We hope God willing that his leadership is to the benefit of this region.
Prince Saud Al-Faisal (Saudi Foreign Minister): His Majesty, the King, brought a new kind of leadership where we don't say something if we don't implement it and we don't want to commit to something without being sincere and honest in it.
Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi): I repeat and stress that His Highness King Abdullah is the one person that no one disagrees that he's the father and leader of all, a leader and a role model. An example moving forward, something very important for us Arabs.
Nadim Sawalha: Despite the turmoil, the Arab region has never known a leader like King Abdullah, who seeks to preempt crises by resolving them and realizing the most difficult goals for the sake of liberating the lands and attaining security and peace in the Arab and Muslim nations.
