Saudi crown prince visits the US, a Saudi - American difficult summit
Saudi Arabia-USA, Politics, 4/17/2002

The Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, the engineer of the Arab peace plan for the Middle East will discuss next week with the US President George Bush the tension in the Middle East, the subject of disputes between the two countries.

A Saudi official told reporters that crown prince Abdullah will hold his visit to the US as from April 23. The visit was scheduled by the end of April but it is for the first time that its precise date has been fixed. The Saudi official who asked not to be identified said that the crown prince will head from Morocco where he is in a private visit to Houston to be received by Bush at his own special farm "to discuss the situation in the Middle East."

Another Saudi official said that "the rejection of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to pullout his forces from all Palestinian territories recently occupied and to lift his siege from the Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank made of the Saudi crown prince more interested and careful to pay his set visit to the US on April 23rd." He added that the "crown prince hopes during his visit to give the American President the clear picture on the current conditions in the Arab world in light of the continued Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians and their conviction (the Arabs) and to convince him for Washington to play a more neutral role in the mediation between the Palestinians and the Israelis."

On Monday, the Saudi government warned the US "it will loose its credibility" in case it will not succeed to "force Israel to pull out from the occupied Palestinian territories."

On Tuesday, the London- based al-Hayat daily quoted a Saudi source as saying that "the continued US policy bias to Israel causes loss to Washington' credibility and threatens its interests in the Arab world."

During the Beirut's Arab summit, the Saudi crown prince proposed a peace initiative adopted during the summit provided for establishing normal relations with Israel and signing peace agreement with it for its withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories in 1967.

Previous Stories:
  Protesting continued Israeli aggression, Saudi crown prince cancels visit to the USA?   (4/16/2002)
  Saudi Arabia for sending observers to the West Bank   (4/10/2002)
  Saudi crown prince Abdullah, Powell meets in Gasablanca   (4/10/2002)

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