May 17, 2008 -- Voice of America News/ContentWorks
DATELINE: Riyadh
U.S. President George Bush is in Saudi Arabia for talks with King Abdullah
marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Washington and
Riyadh. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the two leaders
are expected to reach agreement on civilian nuclear technology.
President Bush and King Abdullah inspected a military honor guard in Riyadh
before private talks at the king's horse farm outside the capital.
They will discuss a deal to help the kingdom develop civilian nuclear power
for medical and industrial uses as well as generating electricity. The
agreement provides access to safe, reliable fuel sources for nuclear
reactors and demonstrates what the Bush Administration calls Saudi
leadership as a non-proliferation model for the region.
The agreement expands cooperation to better safeguard the kingdom's vast oil
reserves and its pipeline distribution system, as well as borders.
As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia joins a global initiative to combat
nuclear terrorism to enhance the protection of nuclear systems and improve
its ability to detect and confiscate illegally held nuclear material.
The kingdom also joins an international alliance to combat the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction and related materials, including delivery
systems.
President Bush says he will ask King Abdullah to boost Saudi oil production
to drive down record energy prices. A similar request in January was denied
as Saudi output has held steady at just over 8.5 million barrels a day.
Relations between Washington and Riyadh are strained by the war in Iraq.
Unlike the first Gulf War when Saudi Arabia boosted oil production and
helped pay for the liberation of Kuwait, the kingdom opposed America's 2003
invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.
U.S. National Security Advisor Steve Hadley says it remains a partnership of
common interests.
"So I think the relationship is in pretty good shape. That's not to say that
there weren't stresses - obviously the Iraq war was a stress, and managing
the situation, subsequent. There are still issues, I'm sure, the Saudis
raise with us. We have issues that we raise with them," said Hadley. "We
would like to see them offering greater diplomatic support for Iraq,
embracing Iraq as a part of the Arab family. They have not gone as far as we
would like on that score."
Relations also soured following the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi.
John Alterman directs the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic
and International Studies, a public policy research group in Washington.
"This relationship has been unalterably changed partly by the events of
September 11, partly by what's happened in Iraq, partly by a Saudi sense
that the United States isn't nearly as competent as they thought," said
Alterman. "And while there is no alternative to the United States, there is
suddenly a need to hedge against U.S. incompetence. That changes the whole
way these meetings go, and it changes what happens when the U.S. president
says I really need you to do this."
President Bush leaves Saudi Arabia Saturday for Egypt and separate talks
with President Hosni Mubarak as well as Afghan President Hamid Karzai,
Jordanian King Abdullah, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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