Increasing Saudi discontent over presence of American forces, paper says
Saudi Arabia-USA, Politics, 1/19/2002

In a report published in its Friday's issue, the US daily " Washington Post" said that the dissatisfaction of the Saudi rulers towards the presence of the American forces in their country has been growing. The paper expected that those Saudi rulers may ask these forces shortly to leave.

News reports said that the paper which quoted a prominent Saudi official, which it did not identify, as saying that the Saudi rulers think that the US forces have stayed for long and its presence has become a political responsibility.

The official added that Saudi Arabia prefers military cooperation to be less after the end of the American military campaign against Afghanistan.

The paper added that among the reasons given by the Saudis for their decision is that it has become the right time for the departure of the American forces to the fact that they do not want to be seen as depending on the American military support.

Moreover, Saudi officials told the paper that the presence of the American forces in Saudi Arabia has become a political responsibility concerning local policies and in the Arab world.

The paper said that the Saudi government has become increasingly not pleased towards the American role in the American efforts aiming at containing the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The paper indicated that Victoria Clerk, the spokeswoman for the US defense department refused to answer when she was asked whether Saudi Arabia asked the US to withdraw the American forces existed on its territories.

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