Saudi officials, furious over a congressional report issued last week alleging possible links between individuals in the Saudi government and some of the Sept. 11 hijackers, have requested and been granted a meeting today between Foreign Minister Prince Saud Faisal and President Bush. The hastily scheduled White House visit, which will take place shortly after Bush meets with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, demonstrates the level of Saudi anger and the kingdom’s clout with the Bush administration. A key issue in the dispute is that 28 pages of the 900-page report, in a section dealing with allegations about Saudi Arabia, were entirely classified — but well-publicized — and some U.S. officials said it appeared the Saudi government was moving toward asking the president to declassify those pages. A Saudi official said Saud is coming to Washington to meet with the president to discuss “issues of mutual concern.” A U.S. official said the request for a presidential meeting came late last week. Full Story
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