Military

DATE= 04/25/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=BUSH SAUDI OVERNIGHT (L)

NUMBER=2-289070

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=CRAWFORD, TEXAS

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

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INTRO: President Bush welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to his Texas ranch, Thursday. V-O-A's Scott Stearns reports the men will discuss the Saudi plan for Mideast peace.

TEXT: Senior administration officials say President Bush is looking forward to his first face-to-face meeting with the Saudi crown prince, to personally thank him for launching the latest Mideast peace initiative.

The Saudi plan has Israel withdrawing from land it occupied during the 1967 War, in exchange for Arab recognition of Israel's right to exist.

Crown Prince Abdullah's plan looked promising when Arab leaders endorsed it in Beirut last month. But, since then, violence between Israelis and Palestinians has been on the rise with more Palestinian suicide bombings and more Israeli troops in Palestinian-ruled areas.

President Bush says he wants Israel's Arab neighbors to do more to stop Palestinian violence. At the same time, Saudi officials say the crown prince will tell President Bush he needs to do more to stop Israeli military action.

President Bush told Israel to withdraw from Palestinian-ruled areas, three weeks ago. Israel says it is fighting a war against terrorism and will not stop until the job is done.

Bush Administration officials say topics for the agenda for Thursday's meeting with the crown prince will include Saudi Arabia's desire to enter the World Trade Organization and the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.

President Bush says Iran, Iraq and North Korea are an "axis of evil" that threatens world peace because they could help terrorists acquire chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons.

While the president says there are no imminent plans to attack Iraq, increasing tensions with Saddam Hussein have raised concerns among some U-S allies in the Mideast.

Thursday's meeting with the crown prince comes at a low point in Saudi-American relations, with some American legislators openly questioning Saudi Arabia's commitment to fighting terrorism and cutting off terrorist finances.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers in the September 11th terrorist attacks were Saudi nationals. Saudi officials refused to allow American troops to use a sophisticated air base in their attacks on terrorists based in Afghanistan.

Then, there was the 100-million-dollar Saudi telethon for Palestinian "martyrs." The White House says Saudi officials told them was not raising money for the families of suicide bombers.

Secretary of State Colin Powell told Congress, this week, some of that money may have gone to the Islamic militant group, Hamas.

Still, administration officials say Saudi Arabia is one of America's oldest and best friends in the region and has been "very constructive" in the war against terrorism.

(SIGNED)

NEB / SS / WD