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CNN Live At Daybreak

Look at Saudi Arabia's Sometimes Rocky Relationship with U.S.

Aired November 20, 2002 - 05:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: If the U.S. goes to war with Iraq, the type of role Saudi Arabia plays, or does not, could be critical.
This week on CNN, Christiane Amanpour has a series of reports on life inside Saudi Arabia. We begin with a look at the kingdom's sometimes rocky relationship with the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Saudi schools are being criticized for teaching hatred and anti-Americanism, this school in Riyadh is trying to buck that trend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guacamole is a dip that's made from avocado, correct?

AMANPOUR: A pilot program at the prestigious King Faisal School, started before September 11, has taken on special urgency now, beginning at grade school to teach language, math, computer science and technology in English.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It teaches you about the English language. It's very important.

AHMAD SAWTARI, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD: Many of these kids' parents, they're schooled in America. So they want to pass on that heritage, that tradition.

AMANPOUR: But since 15 of the September 11 hijackers were Saudis, the United States is handing out fewer visas and Saudis are afraid to send their children to a country they feel hates them. In addition, many Saudis who usually go to the U.S. for vacation or medical treatment are now going to Europe.

(on camera): Here in Saudi Arabia, sympathy for America is giving way to indignation and defensiveness and a feeling of betrayal as deep as in America itself.

(voice-over): You can come to a mall in the capital and get a genuinely friendly welcome. And although Saudis now admit their countrymen were involved in September 11, those who've lived in and love America are still angry that all Saudis are being tarnished as terrorists, as the enemy.

PRINCE SULTAN BIN SALMAN, TOURISM DIRECTOR: People here are not just shocked, but appalled that this is also being tagged as a brand of religion that is coming out of Saudi Arabia.

NOURA AL-YOUSEF, ECONOMIST: I still a state of denial. I couldn't believe that those 15 people are from my country. I've been raised, I studied in this country and we don't do this stuff.

AMANPOUR: And outside this mosque in the capital, young men are eager to El Al us that not all Saudis are guilty. But they also tell us that they feel current American policy in the Middle East is both threatening and humiliating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The all Arabs you see here, all Muslims, from Kashmir, from Benladis (ph), from Sudan, from Pakistan, from anywhere, they hate America because America helps Israel against Arabs in Palestine.

AMANPOUR: Indeed, a recent poll finds the majority of Saudis have a negative view of America. But beneath the bitterness, hope, too, that bad feelings can be overcome and that they can travel and study again in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not talking about the government's relations, I'm talking about the people's relations. America is a country of freedom. I'm talking about the people themselves. You know, the people are nice.

AMANPOUR: And back at the King Faisal School, that's Talal, one of Osama bin Laden's nephews, among the ninth graders learning English.

TALAL BIN LADEN, STUDENT: It's exciting and it's the common language in the world. So you have to learn it. So it helps us in our jobs.

AMANPOUR: Talal doesn't know yet what he wants to be when he grows up. But like his classmates, his heart is filled not with hate, just an eagerness to learn.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: You can see the second part of our series tonight on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN." Part two looks at how religion affects education in Saudi Arabia. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And Christiane's series continues all week long on CNN.

And one more quick programming note from the Mideast. CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us in the next hour of DAYBREAK with the latest reaction to the U.N. resolution. We'll tell you all about that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




U.S.>


Aired November 20, 2002 - 05:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: If the U.S. goes to war with Iraq, the type of role Saudi Arabia plays, or does not, could be critical.
This week on CNN, Christiane Amanpour has a series of reports on life inside Saudi Arabia. We begin with a look at the kingdom's sometimes rocky relationship with the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Saudi schools are being criticized for teaching hatred and anti-Americanism, this school in Riyadh is trying to buck that trend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guacamole is a dip that's made from avocado, correct?

AMANPOUR: A pilot program at the prestigious King Faisal School, started before September 11, has taken on special urgency now, beginning at grade school to teach language, math, computer science and technology in English.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It teaches you about the English language. It's very important.

AHMAD SAWTARI, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT HEAD: Many of these kids' parents, they're schooled in America. So they want to pass on that heritage, that tradition.

AMANPOUR: But since 15 of the September 11 hijackers were Saudis, the United States is handing out fewer visas and Saudis are afraid to send their children to a country they feel hates them. In addition, many Saudis who usually go to the U.S. for vacation or medical treatment are now going to Europe.

(on camera): Here in Saudi Arabia, sympathy for America is giving way to indignation and defensiveness and a feeling of betrayal as deep as in America itself.

(voice-over): You can come to a mall in the capital and get a genuinely friendly welcome. And although Saudis now admit their countrymen were involved in September 11, those who've lived in and love America are still angry that all Saudis are being tarnished as terrorists, as the enemy.

PRINCE SULTAN BIN SALMAN, TOURISM DIRECTOR: People here are not just shocked, but appalled that this is also being tagged as a brand of religion that is coming out of Saudi Arabia.

NOURA AL-YOUSEF, ECONOMIST: I still a state of denial. I couldn't believe that those 15 people are from my country. I've been raised, I studied in this country and we don't do this stuff.

AMANPOUR: And outside this mosque in the capital, young men are eager to El Al us that not all Saudis are guilty. But they also tell us that they feel current American policy in the Middle East is both threatening and humiliating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The all Arabs you see here, all Muslims, from Kashmir, from Benladis (ph), from Sudan, from Pakistan, from anywhere, they hate America because America helps Israel against Arabs in Palestine.

AMANPOUR: Indeed, a recent poll finds the majority of Saudis have a negative view of America. But beneath the bitterness, hope, too, that bad feelings can be overcome and that they can travel and study again in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not talking about the government's relations, I'm talking about the people's relations. America is a country of freedom. I'm talking about the people themselves. You know, the people are nice.

AMANPOUR: And back at the King Faisal School, that's Talal, one of Osama bin Laden's nephews, among the ninth graders learning English.

TALAL BIN LADEN, STUDENT: It's exciting and it's the common language in the world. So you have to learn it. So it helps us in our jobs.

AMANPOUR: Talal doesn't know yet what he wants to be when he grows up. But like his classmates, his heart is filled not with hate, just an eagerness to learn.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: You can see the second part of our series tonight on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN." Part two looks at how religion affects education in Saudi Arabia. That's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. And Christiane's series continues all week long on CNN.

And one more quick programming note from the Mideast. CNN's Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us in the next hour of DAYBREAK with the latest reaction to the U.N. resolution. We'll tell you all about that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




U.S.>