US embassy cable - 05JEDDAH3366

S E C R E T JEDDAH 003366 
 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR TOWNSEND; NSC FOR P. HEFFERNAN; 
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR 
TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 09/13/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PREL, SA 
SUBJECT: SAUDI KING PLEASED WITH PROGRESS AGAINST 
TERRORISTS, BUT WARNS OF IRANIAN INFILTRATION IN IRAQ 
 
Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL TATIANA GFOELLER 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d). 
 
 
1. (S)  SUMMARY.  On September 5, Assistant to the President 
for Homeland Security Fran Townsend met with King Abdullah at 
his invitation at the King's home in Jeddah.  The meeting, 
notable for its warm and friendly tone, focused on the Saudi 
progress in subduing Saudi terrorists and the need to contain 
Iran's efforts to destabilize Iraq.  Assistant Deputy 
Minister of Interior Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, Foreign 
Affairs Counselor Adel Al-Jubeir (interpreter), Charge, CG, 
BPM Counselor, S/CT Coordinator Hank Crumpton and members of 
Townsend's party attended.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
AL QAEDA ON THE RUN: KINGDOM HAS UPPER HAND IN BATTLE AGAINST 
TERRORISTS 
 
2. (S)  During Assistant to the President for Homeland 
Security Fran Townsend's September 5 meeting with King 
Abdullah at his Jeddah home, Townsend praised the Kingdom's 
success in pursuing terrorists in Saudi Arabia during the 
past year.  The King agreed that the SAG's anti-terror 
efforts in the Kingdom have been successful, and gave 
Townsend an update on the stand-off in Dammam between 
security forces and a group of terrorists holed up in a house 
there that was ongoing during the meeting.  Abdullah said 
that while some had recommended Saudi special forces storm 
the house, he had personally instructed security forces to 
"wait them out to minimize our casualties."  He termed the 
insurgents "a terrible group." 
 
3. (S) Townsend told the King that CENTCOM Commander General 
John Abizaid had given her the positive news that, based on 
tracking reports, Saudi Arabia no longer ranks among the top 
five countries represented among the foreign insurgents in 
Iraq.  Instead, the number of North Africans in Iraq is 
increasing.  According to Townsend, this confirms that 
efforts of Saudi security forces are bearing fruit.  Abdullah 
commented that he hoped a decrease of Saudi terrorists in 
Iraq would not translate into an increase of their presence 
in the Kingdom.  He emphasized the difficulty of patrolling 
the long Iraqi-Saudi border and suggested that General 
Abizaid visit it to see the difficulties first-hand. 
 
 
SAG'S RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS KEY TO NEW KING 
 
4. (S) Abdullah went on to focus on Iranian infiltration of 
Iraq, including its lethal destabilizing effects.  He said 
that the short-term result of Iran's meddling in Iraq is 
trouble for America, "but in the long-term, it is we who will 
suffer the consequences."  He characterized the new, 
fundamentalist Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as "a 
strange plant who no one knows where it sprang up from." 
Recalling a recent meeting with former Iranian Majlis Speaker 
Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the King implied that voter fraud 
might have been responsible for Rafsanjani's "regrettable" 
loss of the recent Iranian elections. 
 
5. (S) Turning to Afghanistan, which Townsend had just 
visited, she urged Abdullah to support Afghan President Hamid 
Karzai as much as possible, including by sharing the 
experiences of Saudi security forces with Afghanistan's 
security apparatus.  The King assured her that Saudi Arabia 
has an excellent relationship with Afghanistan and stands 
ready to help Karzai.  The meeting concluded with Abdullah 
inviting President Bush to spend at least 5 days in the 
Arabian desert with him this winter.  The King emotionally 
described his bond with his desert heritage, and even more 
emotionally discussed the death of his brother, the late King 
Fahd.  (NOTE: Assistant to the President for Homeland 
Security Fran Townsend did not clear this cable.  END NOTE). 
 
 
Gfoeller