August 18, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani 8, 1423

RIYADH, Aug 17: At a time when several groups within the US are openly talking of urgent steps by the US administration against the Saudi stance on various issues between the two countries, several intellectuals in Saudi Arabia are planning to collect signatures on a draft statement, rejecting all forms of intervention in the internal affairs of any country in the world, a report carried in the daily Al-Watan said.

The statement calls upon ‘all honest and upright people’ to unmask and condemn shades in the American administration talking in terms of interfering in the Kingdom’s affairs, in order to what was being termed as ‘drying out the springs of terrorism and human right abuses’.

The draft statement stresses commitment to the Kingdom’s unity and sovereignty, resisting all forms of interference in its affairs. The draft condemned the “policy of power, arrogance and double standards” as practised by the American government, resulting in flagrant violations of principles of right and justice at the economic, political, cultural and security levels. It referred to the US refusal to ratify a number of international treaties such as the Durban and the Kyoto agreements besides refusing to become a member of the International Criminal Court.

The draft proposed by the Saudi intellectuals also refers to the stand in this connection taken by a number of German intellectuals and the message of a group of the US citizens to their friends in Europe and others, rejecting the alleged moral justifications of war launched to fight terrorism in several areas of the world.

This statement is the fifth in the series of statements issued by Saudi intellectuals and writers since September 11 to condemn the “immoral practices of the American policy.

Agencies add: The United States is increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia to force internal changes and a softer line on Iraq and the Palestinians, analysts and diplomats said on Saturday.

The comments came after the filing on Thursday of a multi-trillion-dollar lawsuit by relatives of the victims of the Sept 11 attacks against Saudi-based organizations and three top royals.

That followed a Pentagon briefing by a Rand Corp executive which branded Saudi Arabia a US enemy.

“Washington is applying pressure on Riyadh to make internal changes to Islamic groups and education and to soften its position on Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” Saudi analyst Dawood al-Shurayan said.

“There is a long list of American demands which Saudi Arabia has not responded to such as Pakistan or Yemen,” on issues related to fighting “terrorism”, said Shurayan, an outspoken columnist who runs Al-Hayat newspaper in the kingdom.

“Riyadh is still counting on US-Saudi historical ties, but Washington is no longer looking to these ties as it did before Sept 11,” he added.

“The lawsuit is part of the US campaign against the kingdom. It is no coincidence and it is not far away from the US official eye.”

An Arab diplomat said the campaign against Riyadh was orchestrated by Zionist groups in the United States because of Riyadh’s “uncompromising position” on the Palestinian issue.