We were extremely shocked and disappointed that, at a time when Saudi leadership is urging Americans to have faith in the hope of US - Saudi cooperation, the Saudi Interior Minister would engage in inaccurate and inflammatory conspiracy-mongering about the tragedy of the September 11th attacks.

Instead of focusing on what nations can do to deter and punish terror, Prince Nayef Ibn Abd Al-Aziz accused Israel of involvement in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Siyasa and republished the on-line Saudi publication Ain-Al-Yaqeen.

According to excerpts of the interview provided by MEMRI, "Prince Naif stressed that relations between the Saudi and U.S. governments are strong despite the Zionist-controlled media that manipulated the events of September 11 and turned the U.S. public opinion against Arabs and Islam. Prince Naif said, 'we put big question marks and ask who committed the events of September 11 and who benefited from them. Who benefited from events of 11/9? (sic) I think they [the Zionists] are behind these events.'"

Prince Nayef's comments follow a long tradition of blaming Jews and Israel for ills rather than taking responsibility for their own actions, in this case, the role of Saudi citizens in the 9/11 attacks. This pattern runs counter to the Kingdom's current efforts to improve its image among Americans and to promote Saudi Arabia as a moderate and responsible ally of the United States.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.