LOC10:13
07:13 GMT
By Ahmad Zain
WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (KUNA) -- US oil independence "is non-applicable"
despite US President-elect Barrak Obama's assurances, said former Saudi Chief
of Intelligence Prince Turki Al-Faisal Wednesday evening.
Al-Faisal said in statements to KUNA, during a seminar held on Saudi-US
relations organized by the Arab contemporary studies center in Georgetown
University, "Saudi should not be worried concerning Obama's attempts to launch
oil independence, as oil remains the cheapest source of power, therefore it
cannot be made indispensable."
He added that the US call for independence in the field of energy was also
on Bill Clinton's agenda, but the US continued to buy oil.
He noted that the US did not only import oil from the Middle East, but also
from Canada and Mexico, therefore the issue was not limited to Saudi alone but
to the US neighbors.
The prince said that Saudi was near the end of the oil era, as it was
investing in human resources through sending its students abroad to gain
experiences and knowledge.
He added that the increase of oil prices earlier this year, was not a Saudi
or OPEC decision, but was based on factors in this "sensitive" market besides
supply and demand, consisting of insurances, dollar value and security issues.
Meanwhile, Al-Faisal referred to the issues that should be set on Obama's
agenda after taking office, including the Middle East peace process,
negotiations between Israel, Syria and Palestine, Israeli-Palestinian
violence, and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian lands.
Al-Faisal called upon the elected president to support the King Abdullah
Bin Abdulaziz's initiative, support Iraqi unity, and eliminate sectarianism in
Lebanon.
He also called for a Security Council a decision that transformed the
Middle East into a nuclear free area, and dealing with Israel and Iran equally
concerning this issue.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal was chief of intelligence from 1977 to 2001, then
Ambassador to the UK and US during 2002-2007. (end)
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