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CNN Live Event/Special
Powell Takes Some Questions on Saudi Money Trail
Aired November 27, 2002 - 11:26 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got some news out of the State Department this morning. Secretary of State Colin Powell, meeting with the Greek foreign ministers, talking to reporters, but talking about the Saudi money trail right now.
Let's listen in.
COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: And as I said on the plane, I think it most unlikely that either Prince Bandar or Princess Haifa would knowingly provide money to individuals or organizations that were conducting terrorist activities.
You saw what the prince and the princess said in their interview yesterday. And I know that there are other agencies that are looking into this matter. And so, I think this matter should be looked into and hear from all sides and see what intimation and evidence there is before people rush and jump to conclusions as to whether or not something wrong has transpired or not.
And we have a good relationship with Saudi Arabia. There are issues that we raise with them from time to time with respect to level of cooperation in some of the funding activities of non-profit organizations and individuals within the kingdom. And we work through these in the spirit of friendship as befitting of a longstanding relationship that we have had with Saudi Arabia.
All right, we've only got time for one more.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) on your meeting, sir, with the Palestinians now? Did you delegate your -- the meetings of the U.S. government to lower levels? Mr. Shaath is here. Are you going to meet with him?
POWELL: No, the reason we are keeping this press conference short is that Nabil Shaath, a friend of mine, is upstairs now with Mr. Armitage and I'm going to go join the meeting. Thank you for that reason to end the press conference.
LIN: All right, that's the Secretary of State Colin Powell, standing there with the Greek foreign minister, taking some questions about the Saudi money trail, whether the Saudi ambassador to the United States and his wife may have inadvertently funded a couple of the 9/11 terrorists through one of their charities. Secretary Powell saying that it's very unlikely that they had any involvement, that he is warning people not to rush to any conclusions about the United States closest ally in the Persian Gulf and also the world's largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia.
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 November 27, 2002 - 11:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got some news out of the State Department this morning. Secretary of State Colin Powell, meeting with the Greek foreign ministers, talking to reporters, but talking about the Saudi money trail right now.
Let's listen in.
COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: And as I said on the plane, I think it most unlikely that either Prince Bandar or Princess Haifa would knowingly provide money to individuals or organizations that were conducting terrorist activities.
You saw what the prince and the princess said in their interview yesterday. And I know that there are other agencies that are looking into this matter. And so, I think this matter should be looked into and hear from all sides and see what intimation and evidence there is before people rush and jump to conclusions as to whether or not something wrong has transpired or not.
And we have a good relationship with Saudi Arabia. There are issues that we raise with them from time to time with respect to level of cooperation in some of the funding activities of non-profit organizations and individuals within the kingdom. And we work through these in the spirit of friendship as befitting of a longstanding relationship that we have had with Saudi Arabia.
All right, we've only got time for one more.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) on your meeting, sir, with the Palestinians now? Did you delegate your -- the meetings of the U.S. government to lower levels? Mr. Shaath is here. Are you going to meet with him?
POWELL: No, the reason we are keeping this press conference short is that Nabil Shaath, a friend of mine, is upstairs now with Mr. Armitage and I'm going to go join the meeting. Thank you for that reason to end the press conference.
LIN: All right, that's the Secretary of State Colin Powell, standing there with the Greek foreign minister, taking some questions about the Saudi money trail, whether the Saudi ambassador to the United States and his wife may have inadvertently funded a couple of the 9/11 terrorists through one of their charities. Secretary Powell saying that it's very unlikely that they had any involvement, that he is warning people not to rush to any conclusions about the United States closest ally in the Persian Gulf and also the world's largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
