Bush nice but ignorant, says Saudi prince
WASHINGTON - In the most regal manner possible, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has skewered United States President George W. Bush as a man so ignorant about the Middle East - and specifically about the suffering of the Palestinians - that he needed several hours of personal tuition to bring him up to speed.
When the prince visited the presidential ranch in Texas last month, the two men spent five hours together.
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This was an indication - according to the White House spin machine - of how well they got on.
But, as The Guardian newspaper reported, Prince Abdullah presented a different interpretation: the time was spent coaching the president in political realities.
'He is the type of person who sleeps at 9.30 pm after watching the domestic news,' the prince told Okaz, a Saudi newspaper.
The prince proved himself to be a master of the art of damning with faint praise, The Guardian report said.
He said Mr Bush 'listens and debates politely, but was not fully informed about the real conditions in the region, especially the conditions suffered by the Palestinian people'.
And so, 'I felt it was my duty to spend as long a time as possible to brief him on the facts directly and without an intermediary'.
The prince's shaft was concealed in compliments for his host.
'He is honest, courageous and highly compassionate.'
He said Mr Bush was moved when showed pictures and videos about the 'tragedies in the Palestinian territories'.
'I told him: 'You are the President of the world's most powerful country, you have principles and deep-rooted political values that stress human rights, justice and equality. You also have the ability to move towards justice and peace.
'I came out fully convinced that the man will act in the right direction,' he said. |
