Caryle Murphy

Caryle Murphy is Saudi Arabia correspondent for GlobalPost. A long-time reporter for the Washington Post, Murphy has been a foreign correspondent in southern Africa and the Middle East. In...

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Caryle Murphy's Notebook:

January 23, 2009 06:25 ET

Frustration in Riyadh

Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, the kingdom's former ambassador  in Washington and one-time intelligence chief, has laid out in a exceptionally candid op-ed about why the Saudis are angry and frustrated with U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

He urges Washington to get behind the 2002 Saudi-backed Arab Peace Initiative offered Israel, a plan that Saudi King Abdullah said recently would not be on the table forever. 

"Unless the new U.S. administration takes forceful steps to prevent any further suffering and slaughter of Palestinians, the peace process, the U.S.-Saudi relationship and the stability of the region are at risk," Turki wrote in London's Financial Times.

The Saudis are perturbed that Iran is meddling in Arab affairs, particularly by arming and supporting Hamas in Gaza. Prince Turki's op-ed reveals that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently wrote to the Saudi king urging him to be more confrontational with Israel. 

January 20, 2009 16:43 ET | Updated: January 20, 2009 19:31 ET

Obama's oath-taking word slip well-understood

Mahmoud Tariq, a Pakistani who runs a supermarket chain in Saudi Arabia, was watching the Inauguration in the lobby cafe of Riyadh's Intercontinental Hotel with three Pakistani friends.

None of the Saudi patrons showed the least interest in the big screen TV showing the swearing-in ceremony. But Tariq and his friends were keen on seeing the whole event.

When Obama stumbled while taking the oath, Tariq noticed and had a chuckle.

“Yeah I did (hear it). And I had the same when I got married, because I wasn’t sure where I was going, you know? It’s a long way ahead.”

January 20, 2009 15:59 ET

Saudis watch swearing-in live on satellite tv

The two most popular satellite television stations among Saudis both covered Obama's swearing-in live tonight. Viewers noted that both channels — the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya and the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera — never agree on anything. But commentators on both stations tonight were wondering whether or not Obama would say his full name and mention his middle name: "Hussein."  (He did.)

Talking heads on both channels were also not hiding their "good riddance" sentiments about the departing U.S. president, George W. Bush. Analysts on Al Arabiya said his speech showed that he is a man of wise words with a peaceful message.

The two Saudi-owned government television stations did not do live coverage, but mentioned the inauguration in their nightly newscasts. 

 

January 20, 2009 15:39 ET | Updated: January 20, 2009 19:32 ET

A Pakistani viewer

Mohammed Nadeem Baig, chief accountant at FAL residential compound, and a Muslim from Pakistan, is excited and also said he would be glued to his television at 8 p.m. local time.

"I already did the preparation on my TV over there … and they went to Kenya, their big festival is already going on … they're enjoying. It's very colorful."

He said he believed that Obama's election has "... impact all over the word ... it will [be] a policy of democracy and a different mood, different style, right?"

"It's a once in four years ... It's the United States of America we should watch."

January 20, 2009 10:47 ET | Updated: January 20, 2009 12:48 ET

He wants a "vacation from war"

Bassam Jarrar, manager of FAL residential compound in Riyadh, and a Palestinian, is planning to watch the inauguration tonight. And he is pleased about the transition:

"It is a change. I think the world needs a break. Everybody gets vacation. I'm talking from Middle East, we Middle East, we need a vacation, we need a vacation from war. This is what we need. I think it's time for a break. And we're optimistic that whoever comes will never, ever be like George Bush! Whoever [it is]! So I'm very optimistic."

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