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Saudi Arabia Speaks Out About Terrorism

Aired May 16, 2003 - 13:02   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First, Westerners in Saudi Arabia, in the terrorist crosshairs. Eight Americans were among 34 people killed in Monday's bombings in Riyadh. And now, word from the State Department that terrorists may be planning another deadly attack in Jeddah.
What is Saudi Arabia doing about the latest threat? Adel Al- Jubeir is foreign affairs adviser to Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He joins us live.

Sir, we thank you for your time.

ADEL AL-JUBEIR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER TO SAUDI ARABIA'S CROWN PRINCE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: My first question to you, is Saudi Arabia on board 100 percent to help the U.S. investigate the terrorist attacks that took place just a couple days ago?

AL-JUBEIR: We are on board 200 percent to find the criminals who did this those who support them, and justify them, and bring them to justice. We will work with the United States and every other country that can provide assistance in order to unravel this terrorist network.

PHILLIPS: Sir, I must ask you, when White House Deputy National Security Adviser Steve Hadley came to Saudi Arabia and warned you of the possible attack and asked you to beef up security, what happened?

AL-JUBEIR: I think that visit has been mischaracterized. Mr. Hadley came to Saudi Arabia with suggestions on how we can further enhance and broaden cooperation between our two countries. We agreed to do so on the spot, and we also offered our own suggestions for doing even more. Mr. Hadley came back to the United States, briefed the American leadership, and the American leadership agreed to the suggestions we had offered, and we were in the process of implementing them when this painful attack occurred.

PHILLIPS: Did you expect the attack to be this devastating? Do you feel you did have enough adequate security?

AL-JUBEIR: Well, hindsight is 20/20 vision. It's obvious that there was not enough security. At the time, the compound owners felt they had adequate security, but it turned out to not be the case. We need to learn from this strategy, and we need to redouble our efforts, and we need to do whatever we can to prevent it from happening. PHILLIPS: Now the U.S. is warning of another possible attack, this time in the neighborhood housing Americans in Jeddah. Sir, what are you doing in Saudi Arabia to prevent what happened a few days ago?

AL-JUBEIR: We have reassigned special forces from the military to the counterterrorism effort. We are intensifying the manhunt for suspects. We will do whatever we can to stop the suspects in Saudi Arabia.

PHILLIPS: If I were American in Saudi Arabia right now, what would my day be like? What is security like right now, while in your country?

AL-JUBEIR: I believe that most people in Saudi Arabia are leading normal lives. I believe that people are more vigilant now. They probably, I would assume, are paying more attention to how they are going to work and come back from work. They're probably looking in the areas they live.

But I believe the overwhelming majority of people in the kingdom, Saudi and non-Saudi, are trying to live their lives as normal as possible. Once we let the terrorists disrupt the peace and normalcy of society, they have won.

PHILLIPS: Now the FBI, U.S. intelligence and State Department representatives are in Saudi Arabia, beginning this investigation into what happens. Who is going to lead that investigation? Are you going to give the U.S. full rein here?

AL-JUBEIR: Well, we -- this crime occurred in Saudi Arabia. Our security forces are on the ground. Our intelligence agencies are on the ground. Our law enforcement agencies are on the ground. The United States has offered assistance, and we are thankful and grateful for that, and we will accept that assistance. We will work with them very closely. We will work very closely with services from other countries. The objective here is to find out who did this, which we know, find out who the people behind them are, bring them, apprehend them, bring them to justice and punish them without mercy, and punish them harshly.

HARRIS: As you know, the state department has asked a number of U.S. personnel and family members to leave your country. How does that make you feel?

AL-JUBEIR: It makes us feel sad. It makes us feel like we failed to provide security for our own people, as well as people who are residents in Saudi Arabia. The United States embassy, or the State Department, has to do what they believe is proper to protect Americans. We may have a different opinion. We may believe that the security situation in Saudi Arabia is adequate, but we cannot tell the U.S. what it should or should not recommend to its citizens who are residents in Saudi Arabia.

HARRIS: Adel Al-Jubeir, we foreign affairs adviser to Saudi's crown prince, sir, we sure thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

AL-JUBEIR: You're welcome. Thank you.

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







Aired May 16, 2003 - 13:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: First, Westerners in Saudi Arabia, in the terrorist crosshairs. Eight Americans were among 34 people killed in Monday's bombings in Riyadh. And now, word from the State Department that terrorists may be planning another deadly attack in Jeddah.
What is Saudi Arabia doing about the latest threat? Adel Al- Jubeir is foreign affairs adviser to Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He joins us live.

Sir, we thank you for your time.

ADEL AL-JUBEIR, FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISER TO SAUDI ARABIA'S CROWN PRINCE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: My first question to you, is Saudi Arabia on board 100 percent to help the U.S. investigate the terrorist attacks that took place just a couple days ago?

AL-JUBEIR: We are on board 200 percent to find the criminals who did this those who support them, and justify them, and bring them to justice. We will work with the United States and every other country that can provide assistance in order to unravel this terrorist network.

PHILLIPS: Sir, I must ask you, when White House Deputy National Security Adviser Steve Hadley came to Saudi Arabia and warned you of the possible attack and asked you to beef up security, what happened?

AL-JUBEIR: I think that visit has been mischaracterized. Mr. Hadley came to Saudi Arabia with suggestions on how we can further enhance and broaden cooperation between our two countries. We agreed to do so on the spot, and we also offered our own suggestions for doing even more. Mr. Hadley came back to the United States, briefed the American leadership, and the American leadership agreed to the suggestions we had offered, and we were in the process of implementing them when this painful attack occurred.

PHILLIPS: Did you expect the attack to be this devastating? Do you feel you did have enough adequate security?

AL-JUBEIR: Well, hindsight is 20/20 vision. It's obvious that there was not enough security. At the time, the compound owners felt they had adequate security, but it turned out to not be the case. We need to learn from this strategy, and we need to redouble our efforts, and we need to do whatever we can to prevent it from happening. PHILLIPS: Now the U.S. is warning of another possible attack, this time in the neighborhood housing Americans in Jeddah. Sir, what are you doing in Saudi Arabia to prevent what happened a few days ago?

AL-JUBEIR: We have reassigned special forces from the military to the counterterrorism effort. We are intensifying the manhunt for suspects. We will do whatever we can to stop the suspects in Saudi Arabia.

PHILLIPS: If I were American in Saudi Arabia right now, what would my day be like? What is security like right now, while in your country?

AL-JUBEIR: I believe that most people in Saudi Arabia are leading normal lives. I believe that people are more vigilant now. They probably, I would assume, are paying more attention to how they are going to work and come back from work. They're probably looking in the areas they live.

But I believe the overwhelming majority of people in the kingdom, Saudi and non-Saudi, are trying to live their lives as normal as possible. Once we let the terrorists disrupt the peace and normalcy of society, they have won.

PHILLIPS: Now the FBI, U.S. intelligence and State Department representatives are in Saudi Arabia, beginning this investigation into what happens. Who is going to lead that investigation? Are you going to give the U.S. full rein here?

AL-JUBEIR: Well, we -- this crime occurred in Saudi Arabia. Our security forces are on the ground. Our intelligence agencies are on the ground. Our law enforcement agencies are on the ground. The United States has offered assistance, and we are thankful and grateful for that, and we will accept that assistance. We will work with them very closely. We will work very closely with services from other countries. The objective here is to find out who did this, which we know, find out who the people behind them are, bring them, apprehend them, bring them to justice and punish them without mercy, and punish them harshly.

HARRIS: As you know, the state department has asked a number of U.S. personnel and family members to leave your country. How does that make you feel?

AL-JUBEIR: It makes us feel sad. It makes us feel like we failed to provide security for our own people, as well as people who are residents in Saudi Arabia. The United States embassy, or the State Department, has to do what they believe is proper to protect Americans. We may have a different opinion. We may believe that the security situation in Saudi Arabia is adequate, but we cannot tell the U.S. what it should or should not recommend to its citizens who are residents in Saudi Arabia.

HARRIS: Adel Al-Jubeir, we foreign affairs adviser to Saudi's crown prince, sir, we sure thank you for your time. We appreciate it.

AL-JUBEIR: You're welcome. Thank you.

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