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Texas White House: Middle East Meets Southwest, President Hosts Saudi Crown Prince; What's Crawford, Texas Like?
Aired April 25, 2002 - 20:00 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.
ANNOUNCER: Middle East meets Southwest. Conferring in Crawford. The president hosts the Saudi crown prince. Front and center: The violence in the Middle East. The Saudi peace plan and the war on terrorism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: How critical are these talks?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't describe them as make or break. I think they are very critical.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Friend or foe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are the Saudis with the United States? Answer say analysts is yes, and no.
ANNOUNCER: America's 70-year friendship with Saudi Arabia shows strain. Welcome to Crawford. A one-stoplight town deep in the heart of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's probably the most folks didn't know he existed. Since he's been here, we've got a lot of publicity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: What's it like to live next to the president? We'll meet the neighbors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: What's it like having the president of the United States your neighbor?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from the Texas White House, high stakes summit. Here's Wolf Blitzer. BLITZER: Good evening from Crawford, Texas. This is a small town, only about 20 miles or so from Waco, but it gets a lot of attention especially when its most famous taxpayer pays a visit. That's President Bush. He has a ranch just down the road from where I am right now.
He was there all day today hosting a very important visitor, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah. The first time they met face to face. That meeting course has enormous implications for U.S. policy towards the Middle East. Our White House correspondent Major Garrett has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The crown prince arrived to deliver a blunt warning: Get Israel out of Palestinian territories or face what a top Saudi official described as, quote, "grave consequences." The Saudis say the U.S. can't expect Palestinians to negotiate security, peace or anything else while their leader remains under siege in Ramallah. For his part the president intensified his now repeated calls for complete Israeli withdrawals.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made it clear to him that I expected Israel to withdraw. Just like I have made it clear to Israel. And we expect them to be finished. He knows my position.
GARRETT: The president also told Abdullah suicide bomb attacks against Israel had to end.
BUSH: 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.
GARRETT: The Saudi's chief complaint is that the U.S. doesn't use the leverage of $3 billion in annual aid to Israel to restrain its military.
PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: And if there is any frustration, it is a frustration when they see that this influence is not being used.
GARRETT: Aside from the Middle East, the president also sought a guarantee from the Saudis that they would never with hold oil exports to change U.S. policy in the region. The president got it.
BUSH: 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GARRETT: For the president, personal relationships define diplomatic possibilities. His meeting with Crown Prince Abdullah lasted two hours longer than scheduled. There was even time for him to ride with the president in his truck surveying the ranch. And it's time like this, the president said, that can diffuse current tensions and possibly pay diplomatic dividends later -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Major, what do you make of the fact that the president was wearing a business suit. Normally at the ranch even when he met with President Putin of Russia or Tony Blair of Great Britain, he's in western attire. What does that mean?
GARRETT: I think the president very much wanted to send a signal of seriousness about this entire proceeding, to the wider Arab world particularly, Wolf, because it is clear at the Bush White House that this entire five-hour meeting here at the Crawford, Texas ranch is going to be scrutinized, dissected is possibly is even a better verb by many in the Arab world.
The president wanted to suggest that it was somber, it was important, it was serious and he was in no way just treating it as an afternoon, a casual afternoon at the ranch. Substantive discussions dealt with seriously. He wanted his demeanor and even his dress to convey that message. And I think that was also why you saw that sort of serious flag background for the president as well. Nothing casual, no ranch appearances behind him. No ranch scenery. This is serious diplomatic stuff. Very tough issues on the table. I think the president wanted to convey that.
BLITZER: There were some very important players beyond just the president and crown prince who were here in Crawford as well. This was no ordinary meeting, was it?
GARRETT: Not at all. Vice President Cheney was here, chief of staff Andrew Card, the national security adviser, ConDoleezza Rice and of course, yesterday, the vice president met with the crown prince along with several other top administration officials. Energy secretary Spencer Abraham, the commerce secretary, Don Evans, U.S. trade representative, Robert Zelach, a very large and very powerful U.S. contingent meeting with the crown prince yesterday in Houston then up again here top administration officials.
All this part of a very elaborate message the administration is sending not only to Saudis, but to Arab nations throughout the region. This is important, this is a key player for us. We want to treat him and his nation seriously and their diplomatic concerns about the Middle East seriously. It doesn't mean we're going to change our policy, but we want to hear them, have all important people in the room and around these meetings to convey the U.S. takes all of these positions the Saudis take very seriously because it's a very important diplomatic relationship, not only for the Middle East, but for Iraq, world oil supplies, and other economic interests that the nations share -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Major, stand by. We'll have you back later this hour, we will talk more about this very important visit.
The U.S./Saudi relationship has usually been very strong. It was very strong 11 years ago during the Gulf War, but lately there have been some strains in the relationship. Our national security correspondent David Ensor takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether it is to fight terrorism, confront Iraq, or to keep the oil flowing, Saudi Arabia is a crucial U.S. ally. But can it be counted on? First and foremost the Saudis are angry about the way Israeli forces have conducted their offensive against Palestinians and Yasser Arafat in the West Bank. And what they and many Arabs see as the weak unbalanced response from President Bush.
BUSH: I do believe Ariel Sharon is a man of peace.
AS-FAISAL: Is Ariel Sharon a man of peace? I don't think even Ariel Sharon believes that.
GEOFFREY KEMP, NIXON CENTER: I'm sure the Saudi message is going to be, Mr. President, you are the leader of the most powerful country the world has ever seen. Israel is totally dependent upon you. When are you going to show some political skills and use, you know, what you have and put pressure on Mr. Sharon to essentially end this conflict?
ENSOR: The U.S. has real problems with Saudi Arabia, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We can take part in jihad by either donating money or self-sacrifice.
ENSOR: A recent Saudi telethon raised money for Palestinian, quote, martyrs. The Saudis say the funds are not supporting suicide bombers. The U.S. wants Rhyad to make clear that suicide bombers are not martyrs, but murders and to do more to fight terrorism.
After all, Osama bin Laden came from Saudi Arabia. So did 15 of the 19 suicide hijackers of September 11. U.S. officials want access to investigate al Qaeda inside the kingdom. And President Bush wants Saudi help against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq for military action, if it comes to that. Yet Crown Prince Abdullah in March offered a kiss of greeting to an Iraqi representative at a summit for the first time since the Gulf War.
ANTHONY CORDESMAN, CSIS: Today the Saudis basically feel they can contain Saddam.
ENSOR: Some Saudi officials have suggested Rhyad may be so angry about the U.S. not reigning in Israel that it might use its one great weapon, withholding the production of the world's No. 1 oil producer. President Bush said he was promised that won't happen.
KEMP: Remember, you know, Saudi Arabia has a burgeoning population, it has huge domestic bills to pay. They need revenue from oil sales.
ENSOR (on camera): Saudi and U.S. officials emphasize in public what they do agree upon. The need for stability, for fighting terrorism. But on the specifics of the Middle East, of Iraq, of searching for bin Laden supporters, are the Saudis with the United States? The answer, say analysts, is yes and no. David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Joining me now from Washington is Edward Walker, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, and a former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. He's now president of the Middle East Institute in Washington. He is a retired career diplomat at the State Department.
Ambassador Walker, thanks for joining us. Can the U.S. take that guarantee to the bank, what the president heard from the crown prince today? That oil will not be used as a weapon to try to influence U.S. policy?
AMB. EDWARD WALKER JR., MIDDLE EAST INST.: Yes. He can take to it the bank. Coming from the crown prince it's bankable. The Saudis have actually been saying this for some time. And indeed, they need the income from the oil, but basically they don't want to destroy the relationship with the United States either.
BLITZER: In the scheme of things, and you've been studying this relationship for several decades, how rocky is the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia right now?
WALKER: That will depend on exactly what the president takes out of this meeting and what the crown prince takes out of the meeting. One of the things that the crown prince had been nervous about and concerned about for some time was that he wasn't getting his message through to the president.
He started some six months ago to warn the president about the impact on U.S. relations in the region if we didn't do something about the Israeli issue and the Palestinian problem. This message, hopefully, the president got and the president reassured the crown prince. That will help a lot.
BLITZER: Do the Saudis understand how angry many Americans are when they hear about the incitement, the support for the so-called Palestinian martyrs, the telethons, the statements in the mosques that we've all read about lately, blasting Jews, for example? Do they understand that this causes a problem in the relationship?
WALKER: Yes, I think that those in the top levels of the government may understand it, but they're worried about their own population. We're concerned about terrorism as the principle threat to the United States. Saudis are concerned about a population that is angry and restive and so they're looking out for their own interest. But yes, the top people understand.
BLITZER: How -- in the scheme of things, as far as Iraq and the war on terrorism, is concerned, how concerned should the U.S. be that if it comes down to a strike against Iraq, those bases in Saudi Arabia, which were very important, of course, 11 years ago during the Gulf War, might not be available to the United States the next time?
WALKER: Well, I don't think we've answered all the questions that the Saudis have about an attack on Iraq. They want to know that first of all we're going to go through with it. They want to know that indeed we have plans for after Saddam Hussein, plans which will maintain an integrated country and which will not present a threat of destabilization in the region.
So they've got a lot of questions. I don't know whether the president yet is able to answer those because we have still a lot of work to do to prepare for any kind of effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
BLITZER: Is there a real risk to the regime in Saudi Arabia, to the kingdom, in other words, from domestic discontent? We've heard a lot about that lately?
WALKER: I don't think there's any real risk immediately. Obviously any leader is going to be concerned about the anger of his people. But by the same token, the crown prince is a popular figure in Saudi Arabia and he's even more popular today because he's seen as being a leader of the Arab world after having made his initiative about Israel, about recognition and having taken it to the Arab league, gotten consensus behind it. He appears now to be a real leader of the Arab world. This, of course, makes Saudis proud.
BLITZER: Ambassador Edward Walker thank you very much for joining us tonight for our live from the Texas White House program. Appreciate it very much.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Israel was at the heart of the meeting today. It's not a new issue for the United States. It is something new, though, for the Saudis. Bill Schneider, now takes a look at a crash course on peacemaking 101.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: The big news came in a "New York Times" column two months ago by Thomas Friedman. The Saudis intended to assume a new role in the Middle East, one they have never played before -- peacemakers.
(voice-over): In February, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah came up with an initiative for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
ADEL AL-JUBEIR, SAUDI FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER: But here's an idea that's very simple, that says, withdraw from the territories including Jerusalem in exchange for normalization.
SCHNEIDER: In other words, land for peace. That's not exactly a new idea. What's new is the fact that it's coming from Saudi Arabia, a country with special prestige in the Arab world. And the fact that for the first time, it defines what peace means. Collective recognition of Israel by the entire Arab world. That has never been offered before. The U.S. was impressed.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN: We've said we think it's a significant positive step not only in content, but also the fact that it was made.
SCHNEIDER: While Israel insists it will never retreat to its 1967 borders, as the Saudi plan envisions, it has nevertheless expressed interest.
SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER: We welcome by and large the Saudi Arabia approach.
SCHNEIDER: Last month the Saudi plan got the unanimous endorsement of the Arab league summit meeting in Beirut, including Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority and radical regimes like Iraq, Syria and Libya, possibly because they believe the Israelis will never accept it.
(on camera): The Saudis need to change the subject from their connection to Islamic extremism to their sponsorship of peace. Why? Because Saudi Arabia's favorable image has deteriorated badly in the U.S. Of 25 countries recently tested by Gallop, none has lost as much support with the American people. Bill Schneider, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: So where does Saudi Arabia stand on the issues of war and peace? For the Saudi perspective I spoke earlier today with the chief foreign policy adviser to the Crown Prince Abdullah, Adel Al- Jubeir.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Adel Al-Jubeir, thanks for joining us. You see how these talks between the president and the crown prince are being described as make-or-break as far as U.S./Saudi relations are concerned with enormous ramifications. How critical are these talks?
AL-JUBEIR: I wouldn't describe them as make or break. They're very critical. The relationship is not breakable, so they can't break it. The region is going through a lot of tensions. We have the conflicts raging between Israelis and Palestinians. We have security. We have the war on terrorism. We have the question of Iraq. These are all issues that are of importance to both countries and both leaders will be looking at seriously in the spirit of friends and in the spirit of allies who have been friends and partners for 60 years.
BLITZER: But you see some are suggesting that if there's no resolution of the Israeli/Palestinians crisis, the U.S. doesn't take a more forceful stand ,the Saudis supposedly are thinking of using the oil weapon once again.
AL-JUBEIR: We have -- oil is not a weapon. Oil is not to be used for political purposes. We have responsibility to the global economic system and to ensuring adequate and stable supplies of crude oil. So that's not an issue. BLITZER: So speaking for the crown prince and you're a foreign policy adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah, you can assure the American public right now that oil will not be considered as a potential weapon in this whole diplomatic matter?
AL-JUBEIR: Absolutely. We have said over the past 25 years that Saudi Arabia is committed to ensuring stability of supply and keeping supply and demand in balance. Oil is not a political weapon and that's the end of it. We're content to stick with it.
BLITZER: Were you surprised by the world wide -- I guess lot of people say condemnation of that telethon that was held in Saudi Arabia that raised millions of dollars for what you describe as martyrs. President Bush said they're not martyrs they're murderers.
AL-JUBEIR: If in fact the definition of martyr from our per of view was what was people thought it was, then, yes, I don't blame the world should be outraged. But we don't support suicide bombers. The term martyr refers to people who have died innocently. There have been 1,600 Palestinians who have died as a result of the latest Israeli aggression.
There are 50 percent of Palestinians who live below the poverty line. This is supposed to raise money to support the infrastructure, institutions, medical supplies to the Palestinian people, food and support families that have lost their bread winners. It is not in any way, shape, or form intended to encourage suicide bombers or support them.
BLITZER: You are one of the few people that has seen this first ever meeting between President Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah. What kind of relationship have they established?
AL-JUBEIR: I think that the two men will have a very good and very strong and very solid personal relationship. The chemistry was excellent. I'm frankly not surprised. They meet as two leaders of countries that have been allies for the past 60 years. They meet in the same tradition as King Abdul Aziz met with Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 and as every American president has met with every Saudi leader since.
They both are very direct men, they both are very honest and sincere men and they both are men who don't mince their words. So I think -- I don't think, I'm very confident that they will get along extremely well.
BLITZER: At the same time when you say, don't mince their words, lot of speculation going into this meeting that Crown Prince Abdullah was going to read the riot act to President Bush and complain about the lack of U.S. involvement, the fact that the U.S. can't get the Israelis, for example, to withdraw as the president had originally demanded from those areas recently reoccupied in the West Bank.
AL-JUBEIR: I have heard a lot of that. There is no riot act to be read because you're dealing with friends. The interesting thing, Wolf, is that the two countries or two leaders share the same vision for peace in the Middle East.
President Bush's vision of the Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with an Israeli state is one we share. His vision of a stop to settlements is something we share. His vision of an end to the occupation is something we share. His view that there could be a bigger role for Europe is something that we share. His view that there ought to be monitors on the ground or peacekeepers on the ground is something we share.
We don't disagree on the vision and we don't disagree on where we want to take the peace process. In fact the crown prince's vision and peace plan dovetails nicely with the president's views. Where we have a challenge is how do we extract the region from the mess that's it is in now and move the process to a political track?
So when the two leaders meet, they meet as allies and friends trying to solve a problem that could have an impact on both of their interests. It's not that one is blaming the other. The U.S. may think the problem lies in one area. We may think the problem lies in another area. We sit together as friends and discuss it as friends and hopefully we arrive at a common solution as friends so we can serve both of our interests.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Saudi foreign policy adviser Adel Al-Jubeir insisting the United States and Saudi Arabia agree on much more than they disagree in these entire policy discussions. We'll be back in just a moment.
ANNOUNCER: Next, a small town with a big name neighbor. It's finally making use of its one and only traffic light.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, for the first time we had that traffic in Crawford.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: The talk of Crawford, Texas, when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: ... arrived in Crawford, Texas back in the 1850's; 705 people now call Crawford home. The town has one stop light and a weekly newspaper called "The Lone Star Iconoclast."
Crawford's mayor is an African-American and a Democrat, Robert Campbell told me a few hours ago that when the then governor bought his ranch here in Crawford in 1999, it was no big deal. Of course, a lot has changed since then. Now it is in fact a very big deal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR ROBERT CAMPBELL, CRAWFORD, TEXAS: It's picked things up here quite a bit here in Crawford. Before we were just a spot most folks didn't know existed. Since he's been here, we have gotten a lot of publicity and a lot of people are visiting. And I think they are gaining a perspective of Crawford that they didn't realize was out here, the beauty, serenity and it's just a nice place to be. So I think it has helped us a lot.
BLITZER: Has there been any down side?
CAMPBELL: If there is a down side it would be that notoriety, because we are not used to having a lot of traffic. Really even our infrastructure is not built for a lot of traffic, and so to that degree we do have some down side, but over all, I would venture to say that most people probably appreciate his presence and it has helped us some.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Over the past year or so a lot of reporters have had a chance to come here to Crawford to get a little closer look to see what this little town is all about. For those of you who simply see us standing or sitting in front of these tranquil scenes behind me, let me take you in to Crawford.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (voice over): Crawford, Texas, population 705, but this is a case of quality versus quantity. One of those residents, the leader of the free world.
NANCY BAIRD, OWNER, COFFEE STATION: We are so proud that he picked Crawford. For the first time we've had traffic in Crawford.
BLITZER: For a town with one street light, that's something. There are some occasional and very impressive guests. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, and now Saudi Arabia's Crown prince Abdullah. Locals take it all in stride.
TERESA BRYANT, FIRST FAMILY'S NEIGHBOR: It was just another day, but usually if he's in town, people, you know, people are putting out their flags to show a little respect that way.
BLITZER: There's the Village Coffee Station, a few other shops, and one barber.
BILL M. SPARKMAN: I've been cutting hair 41 years (inaudible).
BLITZER: Everyone we spoke to seems to really like him. Indeed, in this town, his name is almost sacred.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can tell we like George.
GLENDALE JONES, RANCH OWNER: I think everybody around here thought a lot of him before he ever became President, when he was governor.
BLITZER: On this day, the town's main intersection was abuzz, awaiting Saudi royalty. They even brought in some local Arabians in his honor. But despite the Bush family's presidency, Crawford is hardly booming. There's still plenty of wide open Texas land, and today at least, a little travel.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER (on camera): And the folks, I must tell you, are very, very nice. We'll be back in a moment.
ANNOUNCER: Coming up, he's the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, but he might not be what you expect.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Ask anyone who's ever met Crown Prince Abdullah, beneath those veteran robes lies a popular leader and few surprises.
ANNOUNCER: And later, he's an ordinary guy, but now he's got a famous neighbor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, we just enjoy ranching.
ANNOUNCER: We'll meet a man who lives just up the road from the Texas White House.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Catherine Callaway in Atlanta. LIVE FROM THE TEXAS WHITE HOUSE with Wolf Blitzer returns in just a few minutes, but first this news alert.
Two buildings in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan were damaged in an explosion today, and about 40 people were injured. There were initial concerns that there had been some kind of an attack, but authorities ruled that out, saying chemicals stored in one of the buildings may have been to blame.
If actor Robert Blake is found guilty of killing his wife, prosecutors will not seek the death penalty. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office says that it will try to get a sentence of life in prison. Monday, Blake was charged with killing his wife Bonny Lee Bakley.
A businessman from South Africa has put down nearly $20 million to be the world's second space tourist. Mark Shuttleworth and two cosmonauts took off from Kazakhstan early today. Shuttleworth has several projects he will work on during the eight-day drip to the International Space Station.
That's a brief look at the headlines. Ibm Catherine Callaway. LIVE FROM THE TEXAS WHITE HOUSE with Wolf Blitzer will return after a MONEYLINE update and a commercial break. Here's a preview of what's ahead.
ANNOUNCER: From the sands of Saudi Arabia to the highest levels of world power, Crown Prince Abdullah has come a long way. Next, a closer look at the man who runs the Saudi kingdom. And later, they're closer to George and Laura Bush than almost every other American. We'll meet the neighbors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know him. We met him.
LOU DOBBS, MONEYLINE ANCHOR: I'm Lou Dobbs with this MONEYLINE update. On Wall Street today, the markets close slightly higher, and I do mean slightly. The Dow added more than four points, the NASDAQ rose a fraction, but that was enough to end a six-session losing streak. After the markets closed, Walt Disney reported better than expected earnings because of a pick up in its theme park business. Watch MONEYLINE weeknights 6:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.
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BLITZER (voice over): When you think of oil, Saudi Arabia comes to mind. It has more than one-fourth of the world's oil reserves, but Texas known for its black gold and Texas tea is king of oil in the United States. It produces more crude than any other state in the nation.
(on camera): You often see world leaders getting off a plane, then boarding a helicopter, then shuttling to a meeting with the President of the United States. But today, we saw something very different indeed.
After the Crown Prince Abdullah arrived in Waco, he boarded a customized bus for his ride to the Texas White House, the same kind of bus by the way that's used by rock stars to get from performance to performance. As CNN's Andrea Koppel explains, that's not the only way the Crown Prince breaks the mold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL (voice over): This is the Crown Prince Abdullah the world is used to seeing, dignified, regal, and mysterious. So imagine Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler permitting these photos of him in western dress, vacationing in Hawaii, to get published in a Saudi newspaper. Ask anyone who's ever met Abdullah, beneath those veteran robes lies a popular leader with a few surprises.
NED WALKER, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: I think if you had an American style election today and the Crown Prince ran, he would probably win.
KOPPEL: Abdullah is one of 39 sons of King Abdul Aziz Al Sawud, founder of the modern Saudi kingdom. In fact, it is Abdullah's half brother Fahd who assumed the throne in 1982, until a serious stroke in 1995 left him unable to rule, and so began Crown Prince Abdullah's sudden rise to power.
TONY CORDESMAN: Crown Prince Abdullah has emerged not only as the successor, but the very stable cadre of people around him, but is in many ways a symbol of reform.
KOPPEL: In a strict Islamic country, where women aren't allowed to drive and must cover themselves head-to-toe, the Crown Prince has begun to push to give women more freedom to travel, do business, even get a bank account. He's also getting tough, cracking down on corruption within his own extended family, curbing special privileges for thousands of princes.
Abdullah is known as a blunt, no nonsense straight talker, who like many Saudis prefers to work all night and sleeps only a few hours each morning.
WALKER: He never had a reputation as a party boy. He was relatively austere, lives a relatively austere life, and that was why people were quite pleased when he was named Crown Prince and took over.
KOPPEL: But that's not to say the 78-year-old Abdullah is without his passions, like raising expensive thoroughbred and Arabian horses, reading literature and poetry, and to say he likes to watch TV is an understatement. This office alone boasts 33 television sets. The Crown Prince believes in keeping on top of world events.
KOPPEL (on camera): It's unclear just what Abdullah has in store for his desert kingdom, which remains an authoritarian country, but one thing is certain, the Crown Prince is a ruler unlike any other Saudi Arabia has seen. Andrea Koppel, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: The high stakes summit taking place here in Crawford, Texas was only one of several major developments in the Middle East today. Let's get a complete wrap-up. Here's our Jerusalem correspondent Jerrold Kessel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Yasser Arafat welcomed to his compound the unlikely peace allies, the foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece, hoping to enlist them in his effort to break the isolation imposed on him by Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
YASSER ARAFAT, PRESIDENT, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: And I will see none of my ministers. They can not come to attend this conference, except my advisers who are also in the same prison with me.
KESSEL: At the very same time in a nearby hall within what's left of the Palestinian Leader's compound, a makeshift military court, sentences four Palestinians for the killing of an Israeli cabinet minister, Rehavam Zeevi, last October, a move which Palestinians hope will help enlist the United States to push Israel to relieve Mr. Arafat's isolation.
The Israeli Prime Minister in what some interpret as preempting a Washington reaction, quickly however repeats his demand that the killers of Mr. Zeevi must still face an Israeli court.
ARIEL SHARON, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL (through translator): I must say it seems a bit bizarre. It was possible to prevent their trial twice, because anywhere they'll be brought to trial to Israel. KESSEL: Mr. Sharon also hosting the Greek and Turkish go- betweens, demanded more, the extradition of a top Palestinian official also in the Arafat compound. He's said to have been behind the huge Palestinian arms shipment that Israel intercepted in the Red Sea at the end of last year, a shipment the U.S. strongly condemned.
At the same time, momentum seemed to be picking up towards resolution of the other critical Palestinian-Israeli standoff in Manger Square. Nine young Palestinians walked out of the besieged Church of the Nativity. Two bodies were also released by the gunmen inside, and the Palestinians have proposed what they say could be the key to ending the stalemate, their offer that the five gunmen inside, most wanted by Israel, should be transferred to Gaza for prosecution there before Palestinian courts.
KESSEL (on camera): Most intriguing perhaps about these moves towards possibly ending the two standoffs at the Arafat headquarters and the church in Bethlehem is that they come on the very day of the summit between President Bush and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, Crown Prince Abdullah's whose peace plan the United States has said could form the first building block in Middle East peacemaking once the elements of confrontation have been removed. Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And when the work of the White House goes west, the world's attention focuses in on this tiny town of Crawford, Texas. When we come back, our White House Correspondent Major Garrett on covering the President in Crawford. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: Young kids having some fun here in Crawford, Texas, a little bit brisk on this spring evening in this small Texas town. Welcome back. Almost all presidents, of course, have a place they go when they want to escape the White House.
This President, of course, is no different. He comes here to Crawford, Texas. Of course, that means the news media come here as well, and our White House Correspondent Major Garrett joins me now. Let's talk a little bit, Major, about what it's like to cover the President when he comes to Crawford. First of all, how many times approximately have you been here since he was elected President?
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think this is my sixth or seventh time here, Wolf, and you know I consider myself an honorary Texan.
My father was born in Texas. So was my grandfather, and when I was a print reporter, I did two tours of duty in Texas. My first job in the business was in Amarillo, Texas, my third job in Houston, Texas. I'm very familiar with Texans. Texas hospitality is statewide. We get a lot of it here in Crawford.
They're very good people, very nice to us, make us feel very welcome and it's a hospitable arrangement covering the President here. It's his sanctuary. I can't quite say it's my sanctuary, but it's not really hard duty time here.
BLITZER: Under normal circumstances, Major, how often do you and your colleagues, the rest of the traveling White House press corps, how often do you get to see the President up close when he's here?
GARRETT: Very rarely. The President likes to stay on his ranch. He likes to have lots of private time there, and unless there's an unusual crush of news events, like today, we don't typically see him. Oftentimes, if we do see him, it's just the traveling White House pool, which is the smaller subset of reporters who are assigned to cover the President on any particular day. A larger White House press contingent stays here where I'm at right now, the Crawford Elementary School, working in the workspace.
A couple of times, the President has actually invited reporters onto the ranch. One time last summer, he took a small group of reporters on a tour of the ranch and I'll tell you, Wolf, that's one of the most fascinating Presidential transcripts of this Bush White House.
You really got a feel of how much the President loved the land he owns, how much he understands it, how much he understands the flora, the fauna there, all the animals there. I mean it was like he was a part-time zoologist and botanist, explaining everything on his property. You really got a feel for how much he cared about the place he calls his own personal sanctuary, and why he comes back here so very often.
BLITZER: And as you know, Major, this is one of the only places on earth where the Secret Service actually lets the President get into a car or a truck and drive around his 1,600 acres. He loves doing that, doesn't he?
GARRETT: Absolutely. There's two things the President can do here almost completely unmolested. One is drive either his gator, which is a small tractor type truck, which he uses to get around the ranch to cut down cedar or clear brush or open up a trail, or get in his big pickup truck to take visiting dignitaries for a tour. He did that today with the Crown Prince.
The other thing he can do without the Secret Service being sort of a shadowing, overwhelming presence, is run, and there's one thing the President has done here during the hot, hot summer months. It' called the 105-degree club, and what's that?
Well, that's for any brave soul who chooses to run with the President in the middle of the day, the very hottest part of a Texas summer day here when it's 105 degrees or hotter. If you run three miles, you got to keep up with the President to qualify for the 105- degree club. Many have tried. Few have joined.
BLITZER: Yes, I don't think I'm going to try. Finally, Major, he does occasionally come into the little town. I was in the Crawford Coffee Station earlier today. That's what it's called. Does he mingle a lot with the local folk?
GARRETT: He has on occasion, and the coffee stop has sort of become a rhetorical point of reference for the President. When he was traveling around the country talking about the fact that there was sort of a political odd marriage between himself and Senator Edward Kennedy, the Democrat from Massachusetts, the very liberal Democrat from Massachusetts, he went all over the country saying, you know my friends at the Coffee Station in Crawford just about fell out when I told them that I actually got along with Ted Kennedy.
So the Coffee Station is not only a place where he has an occasional hamburger, it's become a rhetorical reference point for him, sort of the landmark for Crawford for all the rest of the country, and as the Bush Presidency continues, quite possibly a reference point for the rest of the world.
BLITZER: And as one of the young kids working at that Coffee Station told me earlier today, Major, they got regular coffee. They also have some fancy coffee as well. I tasted it. Major Garrett, covering the President as he always does, thanks so much for joining us. When we come back, we'll get a little bit closer to the Bush Ranch. In fact, I'll speak with the President's next door neighbor. Stay with us.
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BLITZER: George and Laura Bush purchased their Texas ranch in 1999. Located in Prairie Chapel, it's about eight miles from Crawford. The ranch covers about 1,600 acres on which Mr. Bush added a private fishing hole, stocked with bass.
It's almost impossible for anyone to step foot on the Bush Ranch, unless the Secret Service allows them to do so, but most local folks, of course, don't seem to mind all the security and the commotion. Take, for example, Bill Johnson. He's a local roofer and the first neighbor.
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BLITZER: Bill, what's it like having the President of the United States as your next door neighbor?
BILL JOHNSON, PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEIGHBOR: Well, he's pretty private, you know. You got a lot of times when you just want to make sure to let him alone and do his job. But we've had a good relationship with him and they're nice people.
BLITZER: You have how many acres here?
JOHNSON: We only have 120 on this place.
BLITZER: But he's got a lot more than that?
JOHNSON: I think he's got about 1,600, yes sir.
BLITZER: So do you ever see him? How close can you get? JOHNSON: Well, they've got some horses around over there, so we know him. We met him a couple times.
BLITZER: Security must be pretty tight though when he's here?
JOHNSON: Oh, yes. It's very tight. Of course, we've done some roofing. I'm in the roofing business and so we worked on some of the buildings over there.
BLITZER: And his place is right over that area over there?
JOHNSON: Yes, sir right on the other side of this barn I use, the yellow house that you'll see in just a minute, and that's where they stayed until the new house got built.
BLITZER: And the new house is how old?
JOHNSON: Well, it was, I guess less than a year, you know. They just built it.
BLITZER: It seems lush and nice now, but in the summer it gets pretty hot here, doesn't it?
JOHNSON: It gets very hot.
BLITZER: So what's the attraction?
JOHNSON: Well, of course, I have Longhorn cattle and raise Appaloosa horses and so, you know, we just enjoy ranching. We don't lose too much money that way.
BLITZER: But a lot of people complain and the summer gets hot, pretty dry, not much water.
JOHNSON: It's hot in Texas, I'll tell you. Hot in Texas.
BLITZER: What kind of -- what does he raise over there on his farm?
JOHNSON: Well, they've got cattle and I understand they're planting some trees and in fact, they're going to be planting some other trees. They've got several hundred on the front of the building (inaudible) they've planting right now.
BLITZER: The attraction is, it' in your blood, it' in your roots, is that what you're saying?
JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
BLITZER: And I' sure it's in his as well?
JOHNSON: Well, my dad was a rancher, and he loved horses and Longhorn cattle and you know just the land, you know, and this old place has a lot of history. And this is the old Newman (ph) place, and there's two brothers that live right over here, and they this is the grandfather's place. They were both raised here and it came up for sale and I bought it.
BLITZER: You know the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah, is here today.
JOHNSON: Well, I guess that's who we saw pass earlier. We had some Arabian horses out there and it was some of the same bloodlines that he breeds.
BLITZER: So your Arabian horses are real Saudi Arabian horses?
JOHNSON: Well actually, I raise Appaloosas. That was (inaudible) Arabian horses that were out there a while ago.
BLITZER: You know the President of Russia has been here, Vladimir Putin?
JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
BLITZER: The Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair?
JOHNSON: Yes, sir.
BLITZER: You get to see those guys when they show up?
JOHNSON: No, I didn't go see them. I just stay out of the way, you know.
BLITZER: And do your thing.
JOHNSON: And do my thing.
BLITZER: Hey, Bill, thanks a lot.
JOHNSON: Yes, thank you sir.
BLITZER: You've got a lovely place here.
JOHNSON: Thank you, sir, appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: This was actually my first time in Crawford, Texas. I have spent time in other places where presidents, former presidents like to vacation, whether Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts or Jackson Hole, Wyoming where Bill Clinton used to like to go, or Kennebunkport, Maine where the first President Bush went, or Santa Barbara, California where President Reagan used to go.
I must say though, I think we have to go all the way back to Plains, Georgia and Jimmy Carter to find some town similar to Crawford, Texas. What that says about all of these presidents, I'll let you figure that out. That's all the time we have tonight. Thanks so much for joining us live from Crawford, Texas. For our North American viewers, I'll see you tomorrow and every weekday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Crawford, Texas. "LARRY KING LIVE" begins right now. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
