    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 25, 2002]
    [Pages 667-669]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and an Exchange With Reporters in
    Crawford, Texas
    April 25, 2002

        The President. Good afternoon. I was honored to welcome Crown Prince
    Abdullah to my ranch, a place that is very special for me and a place
    where I welcome special guests to our country. The Crown Prince and I
    had a very cordial meeting that confirmed the strong relationship
    between Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.
        Our partnership is important to both our nations. And it is
    important to the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East and the
    world. We discussed the critical importance of the war on terror. Much
    of our discussion centered on the Middle East and how to defuse the
    current situation so we can get back on the path to peace.
        Our two nations share a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine,
    living side by side in peace and security. I reiterated that all parties
    have responsibilities to help achieve that vision. The Palestinian
    Authority must do more to stop terror. Israel must finish its
    withdrawal, including resolution of standoff--standoffs in Ramallah and
    Bethlehem, in a nonviolent way.
        We discussed the need for Arab states to condemn terror, to stop
    incitement of violence, and as part of a long-term peace, to accept
    Israel as a nation and a neighbor. We also agreed the world must join in
    offering humanitarian aid to the many innocent Palestinians who are
    suffering.
        I told the Crown Prince how much I appreciate his vision for a
    peaceful and integrated Middle East and how I appreciated his leadership
    in helping rally the Arab world toward that vision. I also appreciated
    the Crown Prince's assurance that Saudi Arabia condemns terror.
        The Crown Prince is going to be in America for several more days,
    and officials from both our Governments will be continuing our
    discussions with the hope that our efforts can help return us to the
    path of peace--a lasting peace.
        I'll answer a couple of questions. Sandra [Sandra Sobieraj,
    Associated Press].

    Situation in the Middle East

        Q. Mr. President, Saudi officials have taken strong issue with your
    characterization of Prime Minister Sharon as a man

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    of peace and say that your tolerance of what he's doing risks damage to
    U.S.-Arab relations. Were you and the Crown Prince able to bridge
    differences over that issue and find ways to fix the fragile Arab
    support?
        The President. Well, first of all, one of the really positive things
    out of this meeting was the fact that the Crown Prince and I established
    a strong personal bond. We spent a lot of time alone discussing our
    respective visions, talking about our families. I was most interested in
    learning about how he thought about things. I'm convinced that the
    stronger our personal bond is, the more likely it is relations between
    our country will be strong.
        I made it clear to him that I expected Israel to withdraw, just like
    I've made it clear to Israel. And we expect them to be finished. He
    knows my position. He also knows that I will work for peace; I will
    bring parties along. But I think he recognizes that America can't do it
    alone, that it's going to require a unified effort, and one of the main
    things about this visit was to solidify that effort.
        He's a man with enormous influence in the Middle East. I respect
    that a lot, and I'm confident we can work together to achieve a peace.
        Patsy [Patricia Wilson, Reuters].

    Oil

        Q. Mr. President, the Crown Prince raised the prospect of Saudi
    support for Iraq's oil embargo, and are you concerned that Arab nations
    might use oil as a--try to use oil as a bargaining chip in the Middle
    East crisis?
        The President. Well, Saudi Arabia made it clear and has made it
    clear publicly that they will not use oil as a weapon. And I appreciate
    that, respect that, and expect that to be the case.

    Situation in the Middle East

        Q. Mr. President, to follow on what Sandra asked you, do you feel
    like you made some personal headway in meeting with the Prince today, in
    reassuring him of the United States belief that all parties in the
    region must work harder to----
        The President. I----
        Q. ----do you feel like--do you feel like you need to convey this
    message, perhaps in a stronger way, by sending somebody to the region to
    meet with other Arab leaders who are raising concerns along these lines?
        The President. Well, Stretch [Richard Keil, Bloomberg News], we just
    sent somebody to the region. And that somebody has just returned from
    the region, and his name is Colin Powell.
    And we're exploring all options. A lot of our discussion with the Saudi
    delegation was how to get back on the path to peace. Clearly, there's
    some things that must be done in the short run--finish the withdrawal by
    Israel, for the Palestinian Authority to clamp down on terror. We
    discussed that in very plain and straightforward terms.
        As to where we head from now, one of the things that I think is
    important for the Crown Prince to have heard is we're interested in his
    advice; we're interested in his counsel. We share a vision, and I
    reminded him how much I appreciated his statement toward Israel. I
    thought that was a breakthrough moment. And it--and then he went and
    sold that in Beirut, and I appreciated that as well.
        So there's a shared vision. And as to how to achieve that vision is
    something we must consult with our friends. And that's what this meeting
    was about. It went on quite a while because there was a lot to discuss,
    plus, I want you to know, I had the honor of showing him my ranch. He's
    a man who's got a farm, and he understands the land, and I really took
    great delight in being able to drive him around in a pickup truck and
    showing him the trees and my favorite spots. And we saw a wild turkey,
    which was good. But we had a very good discussion, and I'm honored he
    came to visit.

    [[Page 669]]

        Last question.

    Saudi Arabia and Terrorism

        Q. Mr. President, do you believe--you said that the Crown Prince is
    against terror. Do you think he will speak out? Did he make any promises
    about speaking out? Should he speak out? And secondarily, in Saudi
    Arabia, do you believe the leadership is doing enough to deal with their
    own problems with terrorism that comes out of their own country? Fifteen
    of the 19 hijackers----
        The President. Yes, I--the Crown Prince has been very strong in
    condemning the murder of U.S. citizens. He's been very strong about
    condemning those who committed those murders. And I appreciate that a
    lot. Right after 9/11, he was one of the strongest voices of
    condemnation. He understands how devious Usama bin Laden has been. He knows that--that anybody who--you know,
    that a strategy by some would be to split the United States and Saudi
    Arabia. It's a strong and important friendship, and he knows that, and I
    know that, and we're not going to let that happen. So he's been very
    strong in the condemnation of terror, for which I'm grateful.
        And we're constantly working with him and his Government on
    intelligence-sharing and cutting off money. And we're reminding him, on
    occasion, where we find money flows, and the Government has been acting,
    and I appreciate that very much. He's got a--right now we're working on
    an issue in the border region with Yemen to make sure that Yemen doesn't
    become a haven for Al Qaida killers. And I appreciate his cooperation on
    that matter as well. It's in his interest that we rout out terror.
        Listen, thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:06 p.m. at the Bush Ranch. In his
    remarks, he referred to Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida
    terrorist organization. A reporter referred to Prime Minister Ariel
    Sharon of Israel.