Washington, Dhu-AlQa'dah 20, 1435, September 15, 2014, SPA -- The White House said Monday that the United States would respect the outcome of the vote on Scottish independence but would prefer that the United Kingdom remain “strong, robust, and united.” Scotland will vote Thursday on whether to break from the United Kingdom and become its own country. “This is a decision for the people of Scotland to make,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. “We certainly respect the right of individual Scots to make a decision ... along these lines. But, you know, as the president himself said, we have an interest in seeing the United Kingdom remain strong, robust, united and an effective partner.” --SPA 23:03 LOCAL TIME 20:03 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w