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Bush Meets With Royal Saudi Ambassador

Aired August 27, 2002 - 14:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The White House describes today's working lunch between President Bush and the Saudi ambassador to Washington not much more than a catching-up session among friends. But others call it a fence-mending session about some public breaks, real or imagined, over Iraq and the war on terror.
CNN's Kelly Wallace is live from the edge of the president's ranch, in Texas.

Hello -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, let's talk about Iraq. Is this a time where the president is going to want to convince the Saudis that an attack on Iraq is important?

WALLACE: There is nothing like the power of the personal, especially for this president. He loves the opportunity to sit face to face with other leaders. He has known prince Bandar bin Sultan quite well. In fact, Prince Bandar was here at the ranch back in April when Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was here. So it is an opportunity for the president to plead his case.

And Prince Bander we saw arriving in Texas a little bit earlier this morning, he and his family get off a plane and then getting on a bus -- yes, a bus -- and then making their way to the president's 1600-acre ranch.

The Saudis have made it clear they are opposed to any military action. They want it see this problem resolved diplomatically. They want to see weapons inspectors back inside the country. They think that is the way to deal with Saddam Hussein. obviously, this administration thinks differently.

So again, Kyra, an opportunity during these private discussions to use some personal diplomacy to, hopefully, according to U.S. officials, one day get the Saudis on board -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We have heard so much about this relation between Saudi Arabia and the United States, from op-ed pieces to even experts on our air. What's the deal? Is there a problem? Is there a tense relationship here that they are having to deal with?

WALLACE: It's funny, U.S. and Saudi officials before this meeting saying there is no problem here, there's no there there. And they are saying the relationship is strong and healthy. In fact, President Bush talked with Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday in advance of this meeting. The two men met most recently back in April, again at the president's ranch.

During that call, though, our viewers will recall when an analyst told the Pentagon and a Pentagon advisory board that the Saudi Arabians are not to be trusted, that they are involved in every level of the terror food chain. We are told by a U.S. official that during this phone call the president made the case that that does not represent his view, the view of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the view of his administration, that this administration believes the Saudis are actively helping in the war on terror.

PHILLIPS: So people want to know is there something that is truly going to come out of this meeting, or is it just a PR visit to take care of bad press?

WALLACE: There is a part of it that is a PR campaign by the Saudis. They have issued a new report during this visit, 10 pages or so documenting what they say the Saudis have done in dealing with this war on terror. They are speaking out very publicly against that lawsuit filed by relatives who lost loved ones on September 11, against the Saudis saying that lawsuit is nonsense and really not worthy of anything.

But again, as far as anything concrete to come to this meeting, U.S. and Saudi officials say it is a chance for them to talk, to work on the relationship. The hope of this administration, Kyra, is as it continues to make its case about the need for Saddam Hussein to go that skeptical allies, such as the Saudis, will one day come around -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kelly Wallace, from the edge of the ranch I must add. Kelly, thank you.

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