JUDI'S COMMENTARY
APRIL 24, 2002

When Talkers Listen:
Eight American Radio Hosts in Saudi Arabia

Yes, we drank the coffee.  For the record, it was soothing, delicious and NOT mind-numbing -- although several of us are having an incredibly difficult time convincing our American listeners that the Saudis did not "add something to the blend" to alter our respective Middle East mindsets.

The assumption is that during our weeklong stay in The Kingdom, we were "spun" -- bigtime -- and that by accepting Saudi Arabian hospitality, we automatically relinquished the ability to think for ourselves, and, therefore, became willing tools of a nefarious Arab scheme.

Such thinking is inaccurate, insulting to our Saudi hosts, and altogether too complicated.

The simple truth is……we listened.  And then, using our talk shows, we passed along what we heard and from whom we heard it.

From Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki, Chairman of the General Investment Authority, we heard disappointment in United States Middle East policy, which, he felt, favored Israel and did not give equal weight to Palestinian concerns.  We were to hear this over and over again throughout our Saudi visit.  

From American citizens living in Riyadh, we learned that many felt more secure in Saudi Arabia and were afraid to bring their children home to the United States, for fear of terrorist attacks.  Several parents voiced concerns about American lack of morals and ethics, and felt their children were better off growing up in Saudi Arabia, where family values are a priority.

His Royal Highness Prince Saud al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke bluntly of his intention to tell President Bush, during his Crawford, Texas visit that he must reign in Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and demand that he end occupation of Palestinian territory.  If the occupation stops, he said, the suicide bombings will stop.  He reflected the frustration we heard at every stop along the way, that the U.S. fails to understand the need to instill hope in the Palestinians, and that suicide bombers are born of desperation and Israeli occupation.

Saudi and American Aramco employees talked about the need for American and Saudi cooperation from a business standpoint, and stressed our common economic goals.

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Secretary General of the Supreme Commission of Tourism and the only Saudi Astronaut to travel on a U.S. Space Shuttle (Discovery, 1985), pointed out the values that Saudis and Americans share, and registered great disappointment in U.S. Middle East policy, urging the President not to allow Israel to call the shots at the expense of U.S./Arab relations.

Kahled Al-Maeena, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, Saudi Arabia's first English language daily, voiced shock and "utter disbelief" on behalf of Arab people "from Morocco to the Arabian Gulf," at President Bush's description of Ariel Sharon as a "man of peace," and urged the President to heed the advice of Crown Prince Abdullah to find a way out of the Middle East crisis.

A business executive from Lebanon, a fellow guest for brunch at a Jeddah compound overlooking the Red Sea, urged me to use caution in broadcasting any Arab viewpoint on American radio.  He said that doing so would result in removal from the airwaves.  He felt certain that even the slightest criticism of Israel would not be tolerated within the states.

As a group, we were granted rare access to dignitaries, diplomats, royalty, journalists, health care officials, business executives and Americans living in Saudi Arabia.  No topics were off limits.  No questions were forbidden.  Nobody told us what we should or should not say.  We were allowed to tape our sessions and to snap photographs.

And everywhere we went -- from the airport waiting lounge, to the home of His Royal Highness, the Saudi Foreign Minister --  there was the traditional serving of the coffee, which I came to regard as a great facilitator.  In accepting the offering of carefully-prepared and poured coffee that symbolizes Saudi Arabian hospitality, our group of highly-opinionated radio hosts became less desperate to impose our own views, and more willing to listen to our hosts, and relay their concerns….without judgment.

This is what the Saudis wanted from us -- a fair, even-handed consideration of their concerns.

Given the need for all parties to hear each other in the Middle East situation, not such a bad thing, is it?

Yes, we drank the coffee.  It was soothing, delicious -- and NOT mind-numbing.

Judi Paparelli
JudiWorld.com