Saudi prince urges US policy rethink

The United States should rethink its policies in the Middle East to counter frustration in the Islamic world over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd argued in an interview released today.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal told the German weekly Der Spiegel that “the majority of Arabs and Saudis find that America is doing too little in Palestine and is downright submissive to Israel”.

“America could force Israel into a peaceful solution and, in so doing, remove a significant cause of the terror we have,” he was quoted as saying.

“There is a lot of frustration in the Islamic world and America is not being helpful.”

The prince, a billionaire who has invested heavily in fostering US-Muslim relations and is seen as independent of the Saudi government, stressed that “we are good friends of the United States, and I personally admire much about America”.

“But I also say that the United States should think over its Middle East policy thoroughly,” he said.