"I cannot say we're not aware that you are going through your seasonal tribal warfare now, so it's very dangerous to open one's mouth here on any issue," said Bandar. "I hope Senator [John] Kerry has heard my explanation about the oil, and he can be assured that we didn't make any deals that could interfere in our friends' internal affairs."
CBS's "60 Minutes" reported Sunday that Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward said Bandar promised Bush that Saudi Arabia would lower oil prices in the months before the election to help ensure the US economy is strong on Election Day. Subsequently, Woodward said, the Saudis had hoped to keep oil prices low during the period before the election because of the positive impact on their own economy.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia denied accusations that it has an agreement with the White House to increase oil production closer to the Nov. 2 election, thus driving down gasoline prices.
Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, had expressed outrage at the allegation.
Demonstrating his close ties with the Bush administration, Bandar went to the White House to talk about the terrorist attack in which a suicide attacker bombed a security police building in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. On his way out, Bandar talked about the issue that has stirred controversy: oil prices and the presidential election. "The two subjects were not discussed at the same time," Bandar said.
