Saudis soften on use of base

31 Oct, 2001 11:11 AM2 mins to read

Saudi Arabia may end its ban on America using a military command centre in the country for operations in Afghanistan after an unpublicised meeting between King Fahd and the US commander of Operation Enduring Freedom.

General Tommy Franks was unexpectedly summoned to see the King during a visit to Saudi Arabia last week.

Defence and diplomatic sources said the monarch promised that his Government would review its stance on the Combined Aerospace Operations Centre at Prince Sultan air base.

America has asked a number of times for permission to use the hightech centre near Al Kharj, built last June as a command post for enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq. More than 4000 American army and air force personnel are stationed at the base with 320 aircraft including F-15s and F-16s, Stealth fighters and Hercules transporters.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to ease tensions with Saudi Arabia before a tour of the Middle East, starting in Syria.

He singled out the Saudi Government as a "good and dependable friend of the civilised world".

Saudi Arabia has denounced the terrorist attacks on America, but has kept its distance from the military operations in Afghanistan.

The kingdom's interior minister, Prince Nayef, said this week: "No one wishes this war to continue because it affects innocent people and we hope it ends."

Reviving the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians, and urging both sides to resume peace talks, will be a top priority for Mr Blair when he meets the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

But a spokesman said Mr Blair was not carrying a blueprint for an Arab-Israeli settlement.

His first stop in Damascus is designed to intensify intelligence cooperation with Syria, a country that remains on America's list of states sponsoring terrorism.

Syria hosts a number of terrorist groups that have their headquarters in Damascus.

- REUTERS

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