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Unrequited love: Despite body language, Saudis balk on oil

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, April 29, 2005

Saudi Arabia and the United States have failed to resolve the issue of future crude oil production.

The Washington Institute said in a report that Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz and President George Bush ended a three-hour summit on April 25 in disagreement on several issues, Middle East Newsline reported. Author Simon Henderson said the biggest disagreement regarded the level of Saudi oil output.

"Despite any personal rapport suggested by the widely publicized photograph of the two leaders walking hand in hand, the joint statement itself — whose wording was no doubt drafted by top aides before the meeting — points to significant policy disagreements," Henderson wrote.

"Perhaps the biggest source of U.S. disappointment at the Crawford summit, and the focus of the greatest media attention, was the lack of progress on oil issues," the report said. "Washington had hoped to gauge the kingdom's ability — as the world's largest oil exporter and effective leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries — to influence prices downward from their present peak of more than $55 per barrel."

The report said the two leaders failed in their joint statement to refer to previous Saudi pledges to ensure oil market stability. Instead, Abdullah and Bush pledged to cooperate "so that the oil supply from Saudi Arabia will be available and secure."


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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