The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz said he had frequently advised Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (to cooperate with the UN probe) but without receiving a positive response.
The King, in a statement published by the London-based "Asharq-al-awsat" and "Al-Hayat" Arabic newspapers on Sunday, reiterated the keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in serving Syrian interests.
"Since the era of the Late King Abdulaziz, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been concerned with the interests of all Arab countries," he added.
King Abdullah made it clear that if investigations with Syrian officials on the assassination of Rafiq Hariri had taken place either in Lebanon or Golan, then that would have constituted a humiliation not only to Syria but also to every Arab country
"I have proposed to the French President, Jacques Chirac and UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan that Detlev Mehlis (German magistrate who heads probe into the Hariri assassination) may listen to Syrian witnesses either in Switzerland or Austria", he said noting that he had earlier sent Prince Bandar bin Sultan to Paris and Damascus on special missions.
He pointed out that in Paris, Prince Bandar had met Chirac and Annan and in Damascus he had met President Bashar Al-Assad and reached an agreement with him.
"Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister, met with the ambassadors of the five big countries in Riyadh and briefed them on developments in this respect, and the plan was approved".
King Abdullah lauded President Chirac and said he is "a noble, sincere and honest person who behaves like an genuine Arab."
The King said an Iranian envoy had conveyed to him a message on the current situation, adding that alliance between Syria and Iran is historical and strong, but for the time being both Syria and Iran face a critical situation, and it is hoped that wisdom will triumph and the region will avoid crises.
He expressed satisfaction over the existing relations with the US President George W. Bush and his administration, but expressed reservation over the stand of the Congress, and said: "The Kingdom had earlier cautioned the US against the outcome of the Iraqi war, and the outcome, as the Kingdom had expected, has served the interests of Iran."
King Abdullah condemned terror acts in Iraq and other countries, and said bloods of innocent Iraqis, either Sunni or Sh'ia, are being shed on daily basis, and that was exactly what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was afraid of ever since the beginning
"Iraq needs five years to restore stability", he said noting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has never intervened in the Iraqi affairs.
"I have urged the Iraqi tribal leaders to remain neutral and to avoid being involved in violence", he said adding that: "I have urged them to work for the stability of Iraq and to participate in elections".
The King confirmed the keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in rescuing Iraq, and said: "but first of all, the matter will remain in the hands of the Iraqis".
On the domestic affairs, King Abdullah confirmed that he is like any other Saudi citizen and that he commands cohesion with every Saudi citizen.
He slammed terrorists and said: "They don't know the meaning of Jihad."
"I am not saying that we have uprooted terrorism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, because that needs a lot of time and effort."
He urged the international community to positively contribute to fighting terrorism, and said it is impossible to fight terrorism without the alliance of the countries of the world on fighting criminal terrorists.
On the Palestinian issue, King Abdullah underlined the importance of caution and accuracy in dealing with the Palestinian internal situation. He also underlined the importance of understanding the new developments in Israel, notably in the Israeli Labor Party.
"I want to give more chance to the peace process, and the emergence of Omeir Perits as the leader of the Israeli Labor Party may pave the way for a breakthrough and lead to unification of the dispersed peace camp in Israel", he elaborated.
"The Palestinians are advised to close their ranks because challenges of war and peace are in need of a united front", he said.
On the other hand, the King emphasized the depth of the Saudi-American relations and his friendship with President George W. Bush.
"There are certain quarters in America, and a minority of the members of the Congress who don't understand the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"The statements which are spelled out by these people serve the terrorists who are working to widen the gap between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US", he said.
He urged the American media to get to know Saudi Arabia before launching random accusations against the Kingdom because it had been a victim even before the United States, adding that Saudi Arabia is just like Britain and other countries of the world which face the menace of terrorism.
The King said the Islamic Summit, due to be held in Makkah on Dec 8-9, 2005, aims at unifying ranks of the Muslim countries and creating a united front against terrorists in addition to confronting the ideology of terror and its justification.
"We, in the Kingdom, do feel pain for any crisis in any other Arab country", he said,
King Abdullah called on the Arabs to coordinate their policies for confronting the foreign dangers.
"As disunity will lead to humiliation, I call on the Arabs to coordinate their stands", he said.
"As a human being I want good for all people irrespective of their nationality or religion", he said urging Muslims to abide by their religion.
