IP: Saudi's "losing patience" with U.S. media critics

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-saudi-us1221dec21.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnationworld%2Dheadlines

Saudi Officials Accuse U.S. Media
By Associated Press

December 21, 2001, 9:23 AM EST

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The Saudi defense minister and the country's 
newspapers have rebuked the U.S. media, accusing them of campaigning 
against the kingdom.

Newspaper editorials Thursday and Friday condemned the American press, 
warning that Saudi patience "has its limits."

Defense Minister Prince Sultan has said the coverage stems from Saudi 
Arabia's support for the Palestinian cause.

Saudi Arabia's work on raising Arab and Islamic concerns with the West 
displeases supporters of Israel "who see these efforts as threatening to 
expose its conspiratorial plans," the state-controlled Al-Jazirah newspaper 
said in an editorial Friday.

Another state-controlled newspaper, Al-Watan, questioned Thursday why the 
press in the United States -- with its war on terrorism, recession and 
"highest level of murders and rapes" -- would focus attention on felony 
battery charges filed against a Saudi princess living in Florida.

Police in Florida charged the princess Monday with hitting her Indonesian 
maid's head against a wall and pushing her down a staircase.

"It cannot be explained except in the context of the continuing American 
campaign against Saudi Arabia," Al-Watan said. The paper added that Saudi 
residents in the United States are still being detained as part of the 
investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

"We hope that Americans realize before it is too late that patience has its 
limits," concluded Al-Watan's editorial.

Prince Sultan told journalists Tuesday that if Saudi Arabia were to change 
its position on the Palestinian issue, "if we were to become enemies to 
ourselves and befriend the Jews, the campaign would end within 24 hours."

The defense minister said he found the media criticism "surprising" because 
the United States and Saudi Arabia share "important common interests."

Saudi Arabia has been criticized in Western press reports for not doing 
enough to support the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign. However, the Bush 
administration has publicly said it is pleased with Saudi cooperation.

The criticism stems partly from the kingdom's failing to make any arrests 
related to the Sept. 11 attack, though at least half the suicide hijackers 
are believed to be Saudi. Saudi authorities maintain that the suicide 
hijackers may have used forged Saudi documents.

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