Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz has played an important role in the reopening of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to worshippers, former Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman has said. In an exclusive interview with Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper, sister publication of Riyadh Daily, Liberman pointed out to US President Donald Trump's historic visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas visit as President, sending a clear message to Arab allies that change was taking place. It also reflected America's full support against those who seek to undermine security and stability in the Middle East. Liberman said the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the Crown Prince is a significant step forward for Saudi Arabia and the region. Replying to a question on the shift in the US position on Iran from the Obama administration to Trump, Liberman, known for his bold political views, said Trump is more realistic about Iran and its extremist policies. Excerpts from the interview: - Where do Saudi-US relations stand now after they received a major boost following the Riyadh summit? The Riyadh summit was a turning point in Saudi-US relations. It was very significant that President Trump chose Saudi Arabia to be his first overseas destination as President. Things have changed, and America will give full support to its allies in the region. One of our goals will be to change the way Iran behaves. What happened at the Riyadh summit is just the beginning. - How does the administration view the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Crown Prince? I think this appointment is a significant step forward for Saudi Arabia and the region. The Crown Prince has already accomplished much as a strong leader working towards modernizing the country. He's someone who clearly sees what the conflict in the Middle East is all about, and what is the best that should be done for Saudi Arabia and the region. I think there is real hope in the Crown Prince. The United States supports him without any hesitation. - Will America take serious steps to save what's left of Syria by pressuring the Qataris to stop supporting radical groups as they did when they paid hundreds of dollars as ransom to Al-Qaeda? How the four Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, acted against Qatar is very significant. They wanted to understand clearly which side Qatar belongs. Qatar may deny it supports radical groups, but the reality is clear to everyone inside and outside the United States. President Trump has taken a very clear position by asking Qatar to stop supporting terrorism rather than just denying that it does. Of course, some people in the administration have different opinions from President Trump, but he's the President and his point of view represents that of the US. - What has led to the change in stance towards Iran from the Obama administration to Trump? I think there has been a tremendous transition from the previous to the present administration in foreign policy. And the changed position towards Iran is one of the most significant shifts. Trump is more realistic about the nuclear deal while Obama was not. The former President did not have a realistic approach towards the extremism pursued by Iran. Tehran's support for terrorism everywhere has been bad for the Iranian people and the region. Iran is striving to be a superpower and Obama was of the view that by signing the nuclear deal, its expansionist ambitions would end. The deal did stop Iran's nuclear program. But the deal was also based on a promise from Iran that it would stop supporting terrorism against its neighbors and people. On the contrary, ever since the deal was signed, Iran's behavior has only become worse. This is acknowledged by President Trump. He clearly sees the dangers from Iran, and supports strengthening the sanctions against the country. Though there may be some differences between the Congress and the White House, there is complete agreement on the issue of Iran, and all have agreed to isolate it with additional sanctions. - There is talk about cancelling the nuclear deal at the time of the next revision in 70 days. Could that happen? Yes, it could be canceled, but that depends on Iran's conduct. President Trump has said he is open to nullifying the deal. He has let the Iranians know that he's not tied to the agreement. Stay tuned on that. It could happen. - Do you think President Trump has a strategy to eliminate Iranian militias from the region, especially since Tehran is creating chaos in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, which is leading ISIS and Al-Qaeda to see themselves as defenders of Sunnis? The administration is still reviewing the Iran situation. Our policy in the Middle East should focus on highlighting Iran as the greatest threat to the Middle East and to global security and stability. I am not underplaying the threat from Al-Qaeda and ISIS, but we can contain these groups as we have done successfully in Iraq and Syria. We have to keep our eyes open to attempts by Iran to become a new empire in the Middle East just like ISIS. They violate human rights and support terrorism. The first step in American foreign policy is defining who our enemies are, as we remain close to our friends. And Iran is surely our enemy. - Do you think that America has a strategy in Syria, or is Russia still taking the lead? The situation in Syria reflects a catastrophic failure in American strategy. I think we backed away from what was a humanitarian crisis, and let Russia and Iran support Assad. And he turned his weapons against his own people. We also let Iran play a big role in Syria, allowing it to have a presence in the west of the Mediterranean, which is very dangerous. I don't really believe we have a total strategy for Syria. And that's because it is hard to have one now after the past administration's weakness in dealing with Russia who chose to keep Assad in power. At least President Trump once attacked Assad in Homs after he used chemical weapons. Obama ignored what was happening in Syria and created a vacuum which was filled by ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Iran. Some people in America think that it's better for the US to stay out of these conflicts in the Middle East, but the fact remains that if we had intervened in Syria from the very beginning that wouldn't have happened. - The Syrian Kurds are fighting along with the coalition in Syria. They are waging the biggest battle against ISIS in Raqqa. But there are requests from Turkey to stop supporting them. What do you think about this and the Syrian Kurds future? Syrian Kurds have been really helpful in the fight against ISIS. As I said earlier, we have to know our friends and stick to them. President Recep Erdoğan of Turkey has been an unreliable ally of the United States. This is rather painful for the United States, considering the years of close, beneficial relations. Turkey under Erdogan has changed from what it was when he first began his tenure. America supported the Iraqi Kurds who were really helpful, and will continue to support the Syrian Kurds because they deserve to fulfill their dream of independence. They are a nation and they deserve to have one. - What's the best strategy to stop Qatar from politicizing the holy cities? First, the role of the King of Saudi Arabia in re-opening the doors of Al-Aqsa is enormously important. As for Qatar, the best strategy is to pressurize Doha and get all the demands made by the four countries met. At the end of it all, the Arab countries should be united to be strong, and the US will support them. - What do you expect the future of the Muslim Brotherhood to be? We saw their attempt to govern in Egypt. It was a miserable failure, and the people of Egypt quickly realized that the Muslim Brotherhood just cannot govern them. Today, the battle is between the extremists – those who want to take Islam backward like the Muslim Brotherhood – and those who are in the mainstream and support modernization. This is another reason why I think the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Crown Prince is so important. I am not a Muslim, but I can say humbly that I see he represents true Islam, which is progressive and has strong, positive values – unlike the Muslim Brotherhood's thoughts which are not far from those of Al-Qaeda.
