Bush distances himself from US media criticism of Saudi Arabia

President Bush has phoned the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to thank him for Saudi Arabia's co-operation in the anti-terror campaign.

Mr Bush expressed his disagreement with accusations in the US media that Saudi Arabia was being unco-operative.

Crown Prince Abdullah responded by demanding an end to Israel's reoccupation of Palestinian territory and he called for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli settlement negotiations.

On Wednesday, the crown prince, the effective ruler of the kingdom, denounced "the ferocious campaign by the Western media" as an "expression of its hatred of the Islamic system". This was the first direct verbal intervention by the crown prince in the most serious rift between Riyadh and Washington since the House of Saud took power in the 1920s.

The row was sparked by Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow the use of the country's air bases for the US military offensive. This was exacerbated by Riyadh's adherence to an independent line.

The Interior Minister, Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, asserted bluntly: "We are not happy with what is going on in Afghanistan." He attempted to discourage US action against Iraq by stating: "If the campaign includes \ an Arab country, we will side with our Arab brothers."

Although 15 of the 19 suspects in the September 11th attacks in the US are believed to have been Saudis and the alleged mastermind, Osama bin Laden, is Saudi-born, the kingdom denies responsibility and involvement. Prince Nayef also praised the crown prince's rejection of invitations to the White House.

Prince Nayef reiterated Riyadh's stand that "terrorism should not be linked to Islam and the Arabs". He said Saudi Arabia would not give in to the "malicious media campaign in the US and Europe" by changing its policy of supporting just causes in the Arab and Islamic worlds, including the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The prince rejected charges that Saudi charities and wealthy individuals had funnelled billions of dollars to bin Laden's al-Qaeda group. He said the kingdom's "security agencies have noticed that al-Qaeda is receiving limited support from citizens" but denied they "pose any danger".

He observed that there had been "no pro-bin Laden demonstrations" in Saudi Arabia. The authorities "will stop those who are willing to join bin Laden or the Taliban, because this is not patriotic," he asserted.

The prince admitted that a "small number of Saudis had been detained for interrogation, but they don't have any links with the September 11th attacks in the United States".

While US officials, including the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, previously argued that the Saudis had "responded \positively to every request we have made of them", the press has charged the royal family of misrule and corruption as well as a lack of co-operation.