February 18, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 5, 1422

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WASHINGTON, Feb 17: Saudi Arabia would consider normalizing relations with Israel and swaying the Arab League to do the same if Israel would carry out a full withdrawal from the occupied territories, the New York Times said on Sunday, quoting the country’s crown prince.

“Full withdrawal from all the occupied territories, in accordance with UN resolutions, including in Jerusalem, for full normalization of relations,” Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz told New York Times reporter Thomas Friedman.

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Abdul Aziz told Friedman he had written a speech along those lines to deliver before the 22-member Arab League in March, but shelved it when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took a harsher stance against the Palestinians.

“I changed my mind about delivering it when Sharon took the violence, and the oppression, to an unprecedented level,” Friedman quoted the crown prince as saying.

The quotes came from an off-the-record dinner conversation, which Abdul Aziz later agreed could be placed on the record.

The Saudi leader told the New York Times columnist he wanted to communicate to the Israelis that the Arab world did not “reject or despise them”, but does reject Sharon’s actions.

“The Arab people do reject what their leadership is now doing to the Palestinians, which is inhumane and oppressive,” adding that his speech would have been “a possible signal to the Israeli people.”

Asked whether he would be prepared to revive his proposal if Sharon and the Palestinians were to agree to a ceasefire before next month’s Arab summit, the Saudi crown prince responded: “Let me say to you that the speech is written, and it is still in my drawer.”

Asked on the “axis of evil”, the crown prince emphasized that “any attack on Iraq or Iran should not be contemplated at all.” Such an action “would not serve the interests of America, the region or the world,” he said.

“Iraq is contemplating the return of (UN weapons) inspectors, and the US should pursue this because inspectors can determine if Iraq is complying with the UN resolutions” regarding weapons of mass destruction.

STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ: Meanwhile, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif said his country would oppose any US military strike against Iraq, the Saudi newspaper Arab News reported on Sunday.

He also denied reports that the kingdom had arrested three Afghan officials suspected in the assassination of a minister, according to the paper.

Speaking at a press conference on late Saturday, Prince Naif said his country would not accept an attack on Iraq as part of Washington’s war against terrorism.

“The Kingdom is against resolving disputes through wars. We will not under any circumstance support any war against any Arab country,” he added.

Referring to reports that the US administration had sought the Kingdom’s permission to monitor the Haj in an effort to ward off any likely mischief by the Al Qaeda organization, Prince Naif said: “Nobody will dare make such a request”.

“We have taken enough precautions for all eventualities during the Haj. Our hope is that all Muslim will honour the sanctity of this event,” he added.

Answering another question, he said the Kingdom had not yet received any “official demand” to extradite the three Afghans implicated in the murder of Afghanistan’s Aviation and Tourism Minister Abdul Rahman.

Prince Naif said the three officials were not among the Afghan pilgrims on two flights that arrived in Saudi Arabia after the killing, and thus could not be arrested.—AFP/dpa