Prince finds Bush 'noble' but 'uninformed'

The president could have been 'better informed'

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah has said he had to spend hours briefing US President George W Bush on Middle East issues at their last meeting.

"I found a man totally different from what I had expected," the Saudi newspaper Okaz quoted the prince as saying about his first face-to-face meeting with Mr Bush last month in Texas.

He was not fully informed about the real conditions in the region

Prince Abdullah on President Bush

"He listens and debates politely, but was not fully informed about the real conditions in the region, especially the conditions suffered by the Palestinian people," Prince Abduallah said in an interview published on Tuesday.

However, Prince Abdullah did say he thought the American president had "noble qualities".

"He is honest, courageous and highly compassionate. These are all good news for the Palestinians."

'Deeply moved'

Prince Abdullah said Mr Bush only read brief reports about the Middle East.

"He is the type of person who sleeps at 2130 after watching the domestic news. In the morning, he only reads a few lines about what is written on the Middle East and the world due to his huge responsibilities," he was quoted as saying in Okaz.

"I felt it was my duty to spend as long a time as possible to brief him on the facts directly and without an intermediary," he said.

Prince Abdullah said Mr Bush was deeply moved when he showed him pictures and videos about the "tragedies in the Palestinian territories".

Mr Bush has said he had established a bond during five hours of talks with the prince, whose country is a traditional ally of the US.

But relations have been strained since the 11 September hijacks committed by mostly Saudi nationals.

At the meeting, the prince was presenting an eight-point plan to try to end the current Israeli-Palestinian violence.