(International Herald Tribune) Richard Stevenson and Jeff Gerth - When he meets at his ranch on Monday with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President George W. Bush will be confronting among the trickiest of his diplomatic relationships. He will be looking for help on oil prices, trying to find common ground on the Arab-Israeli conflict, and prodding the crown prince to allow more democracy within his country, even as the two sides continue to struggle with the deep strains set off by the involvement of Saudis in the 9/11 attacks. Bush remains under pressure from conservatives in his own party and some Democrats to take a hard line with the Saudis when it comes to terrorism and Israel. Analysts said the Saudis have always been perplexed that they do not have the same close relationship with the current administration that they did with that of Bush's father. Analysts said the Saudis remain suspicious about Bush's intentions when it comes to a final agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. They said the Saudis are also concerned about the growing Shiite influence in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's religious establishment is dominated by the Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam.
2005-04-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive