State Dept Can't Hear When Faisal Describes Iraq as Foreign Occupation

[sabra]

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/3789/When_the_Saudi_FM_Becomes_Unintelligible

State Dept Can't Hear When Faisal Describes Iraq as Foreign Occupation



Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal listens to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prior a joint press conference with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates (not seen) in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, 01 August 2007.

"This is a relationship that allows us to discuss the most difficult and most sensitive issues in a way that is respectful and friendly," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the media gathered at a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Saudi foreign minister Saud al-Faisal on Tuesday.

But the Secretary must not have found some of the foreign minister's comments to the press very respectful or friendly, since they were labeled "unintelligible" in a State Department transcript of the event.

According to the State Department, al-Faisal said in his opening statement:

The Kingdom is keen on achieving peace in Iraq and maintaining its unity and stability. However, the success of these efforts are tied to achieving social stability, equality, and representation for all of Iraq’s people and all of the ethnic and religious groups there. Iraq bears a responsibility to (unintelligible).

So what does Iraq bear a great responsibility to do?

Reuters reports al-Faisal as saying: "The Iraqi government has a great responsibility ... to stop foreign interference."

It's as if US diplomats have a self-enforced collective deafness to the common Arab opinion that the presence of American troops in Iraq equals unwanted foreign occupation.