Ha'aretz

Thursday, October 11, 2001 Tishrei 24, 5762 Israel Time: 09:23 (GMT+2)

10:54 11/10/2001

Last update - 11:26 11/10/2001

Saudi-owned paper: Blair asked to cancel Saudi visit

By Reuters

DUBAI - Saudi Arabia, eager to distance itself from the Western campaign against Afghanistan, asked British Prime Minister Tony Blair to cancel a planned visit to the kingdom, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported on Thursday.

London-based Asharq al-Awsat quoted "informed sources" in London as saying the kingdom told Blair, Washington's partner in the strikes on Afghanistan, that it could not receive him when he began his Middle East trip to the Gulf state of Oman.

"The source explained that this was because the Saudi leadership was sensitive about its role and position in both the Arab and Islamic world," the Arabic-language daily said.

Saudi Arabia has condemned the September 11 attacks on the U.S. but did not publicly take a stand on the American-led military operations against Afghanistan. "We did have discussions about including Riyadh in the trip. It simply was not logistically possible," Blair's spokesman told journalists in Muscat. "But we hope there will be a chance to visit Riyadh in the near future."

Blair arrived in Oman on Wednesday to inspect troops conducting military exercises and to drum up Arab support for the attacks. Asharq al-Awsat said he had been expected to visit Saudi Arabia later in the day.

The newspaper said Blair telephoned Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah on the subject, but had apparently failed to persuade Saudi Arabia to receive him.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted that Saudi Arabia would welcome such a visit. "The government of Saudi Arabia has made it clear it would welcome a visit by the prime minister, but as ever with these things it is a matter of sorting out a convenient time for both sides," Straw told BBC radio.

-- Anonymous, October 11, 2001