Saudi envoy: Oil policy standard, not a deal
Calls U.S. politics: 'Your seasonal tribal warfare'
From John King
CNN Washington Bureau
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States stood firm that his country made no secret deals with the White House to try to drive down gas prices to help re-elect President Bush and sought to reassure Democratic contender Sen. John Kerry.
"I really don't see what is the big deal," Prince Bandar bin Sultan told reporters Wednesday after a White House meeting with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.
"Unless somebody would like to see the oil prices stay high, then nobody should complain."
In his new book, "Plan of Attack," journalist Bob Woodward reports that Bandar assured Bush administration officials the Saudis would increase production to reduce oil prices to help the U.S. economy in the months before the election.
Woodward's suggestion Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes" that the Saudis might be trying to tinker with oil prices to help Bush politically raised a firestorm. The Washington Post journalist later said he was not alleging a secret deal existed. Bandar and the White House also have denied there was such an agreement. (Full story)
Bandar said Wednesday his consultations with the Bush White House on oil prices were similar to those he has had with other U.S. leaders since President Carter and are part of a long-standing Saudi policy of promising to step up production when tight oil supplies threaten the world economy -- such as during last year's oil strike in Venezuela or the Persian Gulf War in the early '90s.
After a White House meeting three weeks ago, the ambassador said publicly that the Saudis wanted to keep the oil price in a range between $22 to $28 per barrel to help the world economy. Oil prices now top $33 per barrel.
Bandar also argued that such a secret pact wouldn't be feasible. He said increased crude oil production by the Saudis would have minimal impact on American gas prices because the United States hasn't built a refinery in 15 years and is at its capacity for refining crude oil into gasoline.
Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, has said that such an agreement would be an "outrageous" deal that would shortchange American consumers.
But Bandar said Wednesday, "I hope Sen. Kerry has heard my explanation about the oil, and he can be assured ... we didn't make any deals to interfere in our friends' internal affairs."
The Saudi envoy joked with reporters that he needed to be careful with his statements because "you are going through your seasonal tribal warfare" in the United States.
"So it's very dangerous to open one's mouth here on any issue," he said.
