LONDON, 12 October — Saudi Arabia asked British Prime Minister Tony Blair to call off a visit he wanted to pay to the Kingdom, Arab News sister publication Asharq Al-Awsat reported yesterday. The newspaper hinted that Saudi Arabia did not want to host Blair while Britain is taking part in the US-led strikes against Afghanistan.
Citing an “informed source” in London, it said the visit, which had been due to take place on Wednesday, was not cleared “because the Saudi leadership is aware of its role and status in the Arab and Islamic worlds.”
Blair, who was in neighboring Oman Wednesday, “telephoned Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, on Tuesday in a bid to change the Saudi position,” but to no avail, according to the paper.
Blair visited Egypt yesterday after a two-day visit during which he rallied 23,000 British troops on exercise and held talks with Sultan Qaboos in an effort to shore up the US-led anti-terror coalition.
Britain’s ambassador in Qatar, David Wright, held talks Wednesday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal — who was in Doha to attend meetings of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers — presumably about the current US-British campaign against Afghanistan.
The Kingdom has strongly condemned the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States but has made clear it will not provide logistical aid for the US-led military reprisals against Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Blair said yesterday Western countries were in danger of losing a propaganda battle with Osama Bin Laden for Arab and Muslim support.
Speaking as he tried to win skeptical Arab hearts and minds, Blair said the West had to put the case for its attacks on Afghanistan more actively.
He said there was a need to put fresh momentum into stalled Middle East peace talks to counter widespread Arab feeling that the West had abandoned the Palestinians.
