Saudis cancel US talks

Prince Saud al-Faisal criticised US policy

By BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy

Saudi Arabia has cancelled high-level military talks with the United States in protest at Washington's support for Israel, according to a Saudi newspaper report.

The action comes at a time when the Saudi media has become increasingly critical of what it characterises as US silence and inaction in the Middle East.

The Saudi ruling family is acutely aware of the rising tide of anti-American feeling in the Arab world

A few days ago, the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal declared it was high time for the United States to shoulder its responsibilities in the Middle East and stop what he called "Israeli aggression".

Now, in an effort to back up their words with deeds, the Saudis have let it be known that the chief-of-staff of the Saudi armed forces has cancelled a visit to Washington, where he was due to have attended an annual meeting to review military co-operation between the two long-standing allies.

The Saudi ruling family is acutely aware of the rising tide of anti-American feeling in the Arab world after almost a year of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

US favouring Israel?

Throughout the region, Arabs feel the refusal of the Bush administration to get more actively involved in the Middle East is a decision which favours Israel and hurts the Arabs.

Many Arabs feel the United States has not been even-handed in the Middle East

The Saudi rulers are also well aware that Arabs are highly critical of their leaders for not doing more to influence Washington.

The Bush administration, for its part, is conscious it cannot afford to alienate the pro-Western oil-producing states of the Gulf.

In June, the American press revealed President Bush had asked his father - who is popular in the Gulf because he led the international coalition which defeated Iraq a decade ago - to telephone Crown Prince Abdullah, who has been running the Saudi kingdom during the prolonged illness of his brother, King Fahd.

The Saudis are now signalling it will take more than a reassuring phone call to convince them the United States is taking their interests to heart.