Saudi exasperation spills over as chief-of-staff cancels US visit

17/04/2001| IslamWeb

RIYADH, (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Saudi Arabia's exasperation with its close ally the United States over Israeli policy has erupted with a decision to cancel a trip to Washington by the army chief of staff.
King Fahd on Monday called on the international community, led by the United States, to play a role in ending Israel's violence against the Palestinians, which he said were "unprecedented in history."
"The international community must assume its responsibilities in putting an end to Israeli extremism," the Saudi monarch told his weekly cabinet meeting.
Saudi Arabia, Washington's major ally in the crucial Gulf region, has become increasingly critical of US policy in the Middle East.
Last week Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal called for the United States to shoulder its responsibilities to curb Israeli "aggression" against the Palestinians. (Read photo caption below)
Then on Sunday a Western diplomat here said General Salah al-Muhaya had called off a planned visit to protest "US policy on the continuing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people."
Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, had in May turned down an invitation to the White House, also in protest against Washington's "pro-Israel" policy.
The state-guided Saudi press Monday slammed the administration of President George W. Bush for failing to take action to stop Israeli attacks against the Palestinians.
"Washington does not appear to be sufficiently concerned by the deteriorating situation, which suggests that it is blessing Israel's increasingly aggressive behavior," Al-Jazeera said in an editorial.
The paper said Washington's silence was no longer acceptable, "unless (the approves of the collective killings of the Palestinians."
Al-Riyadh warned the United States and the West in general of the consequences of their support of the "Zionists."
"America and the West provide material, political and military support to the Zionists, because (they believe) there is no threat to their interests in the Arab world," it said in a front-page editorial.
Al-Riyadh, implicitly called on Arab countries to take retaliatory measures against the United States, which has huge interests in the region, especially in the Gulf states.
"Latent Arab forces that are observing the situation" might react in an unpredictable way if Arab inaction persists at the official level, the daily warned, alluding to Islamist groups.
Saudi officials said that chief-of-staff Muhaya had already boycotted a Saudi-US military cooperation commission meeting which had been due to convene in the US capital two weeks ago.
The Saudi-owned pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat Monday quoted officials saying Muhaya stayed away from the meeting even though he had been vacationing in Washington with his family a few days before it was due to be held.
Saudi officials cited Muhaya's busy schedule when the United States tried to set a new date for the meeting, saying his engagements prevented him from going to Washington, the London-based paper said.
PHOTO CAPTION:
A few days ago, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal declared it was high time for the United States to shoulder its responsibilities in the Middle East and stop what he called "Israeli aggression".