[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

[[Page 668]]

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.