Saudi Arabia Has Nothing to Hide: Minister

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Saudi Arabia Has Nothing to Hide: Minister

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Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Tuesday that his country has nothing to hide although a US congressional report issued last week alleging possible links between individuals in the Saudi government and some of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers.

"We have nothing to hide," the prince said in a statement issued after meeting with President George W. Bush in the White House.

During the meeting, Bush refused to declassify 28 pages of the 900-page congressional report reportedly dealing with possible links between Saudi government officials and the Sept. 11 hijackers because that would reveal intelligence sources and methods to "the enemy."

Defending his country's record in fighting terrorism, Prince Saud described allegations about Saudi Arabia's links with Sept. 11 incident as "an outrage to any sense of fairness," saying that his country had been "wrongfully and morbidly accused of complicity in the attacks."

"Twenty-eight blank pages are now considered substantial evidence to proclaim the guilt of a country that has been a true friend and partner of the United States for over 60 years," the Saudi minister said.

The hastily-scheduled meeting between Bush and the prince was arranged at the request of the Saudi side which intended to use the chance to ask the US president to declassify the 28 pages at issue.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon earlier Tuesday, President Bush ruled out the possibility of releasing the classified pages, citing nationalsecurity reasons.

"I absolutely have no qualms at all, because there's an ongoinginvestigation into the Sept. 11 attacks, and we don't want to compromise that investigation," Bush said, when asked whether the decision not to declassify the entire report was out of concerns over possible impact on relationship with Saudi Arabia.

"We have an ongoing war against al Qaeda and terrorists, and the declassification of that part of a 900-page document would reveal sources and methods that will make it harder for us to win the war on terror," he said.

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