Military

DATE=4-24-02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT 2-

TITLE=U-S-Saudi Talks (L)

NUMBER=2-289067

BYLINE=David Gollust

DATELINE=State Department

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah in Texas for talks with President Bush Thursday at the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Discussions will focus on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and the Crown Prince Abdullah's land-for-peace overture to Israel. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

TEXT: The President's decision to host the de-facto Saudi ruler at his personal residence reflects the high priority the administration puts on relations with the kingdom, and also the high hopes U-S officials have for the Saudi initiative.

The peace overture calls for Arab-wide peace with and recognition of Israel in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from all Arab land captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

First mentioned in a New York Times interview in February, the plan was endorsed late last month at the Arab League summit and has been embraced by the Bush administration as, at least, a "vision" of a final Israeli-Arab peace accord.

In a Senate appearance Wednesday, Secretary of State Colin Powell who will join in the Crawford meetings said the administration hopes to find ways to "push forward" and "put substance behind" the Saudi plan.

He said the United States would like to see Saudi Arabia and other U-S Arab allies play a "more aggressive role" in advancing peace and take more responsibility for moderating Palestinian behavior.

Mr. Powell also said under questioning that he would to raise with the Saudis U-S concern about the destination of proceeds from a recent telethon on Saudi state television that raised more than 100-million dollars in emergency aid for Palestinians:

///Powell actuality///

It's a subject that I will be discussing with Saudi officials when I am with them tomorrow down at Crawford with the President. We have seen some indications, and have even seen an Arab newspaper handed to me by chairman Arafat, I might add, where some of the money at least according to this Arab newspaper advertisement would be going to elements of Hamas. So there are some troubling aspects as to how that telethon money would be distributed.

///end act///

Saudi officials, for their part, have said Crown Prince Abdullah intended to use his meeting with Mr. Bush to push for more balance in a U-S approach to the Middle East seen as decidedly pro-Israel.

It will be the Crown Prince's first meeting with the President, though he has met Mr. Powell several times including a meeting in Morocco two weeks ago at the start of the Secretary's ten-day Middle East peace mission.

The talks are also expected to cover the next phase of the administration's war on terrorism, U-S intentions toward Iraq, and the global oil market.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham were among other top officials flying to Texas for the talks, which began late Wednesday in Houston with a meeting between the Saudi Crown Prince and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Signed)

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