Bush faces tough talks with Saudi Focus is likely to be on oil, Mideast politics and democracy 3 Edition

• Published in: International herald tribune
• Main Author: Richard W. Stevenson and Jeff Gerth
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris New York Times Company 25.04.2005
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: Bush, George W; CRAWFORD, Texas
• ISSN: 0294-8052

At the same time, the Saudis have been heartened by [George W. Bush]'s stepped-up involvement in seeking peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, analysts said. And now Bush will be seeking help from the Saudis to help bring down crude oil and gasoline prices, an issue that is taking a toll both on the economy and Bush's approval ratings. "Since the Sept. 11 attacks, you've had this growing chorus of anti-Saudi voices in the United States, and not from the fringes," said Flynt Leverett, a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and former senior director at the National Security Council under Bush. "From the Saudi point of view, this administration, while not joining the anti-Saudi perspective, has not done much to quiet it. But now that Bush has been re-elected, they're in a sense willing to give the administration another shot at improving the quality of the relationship." Their meeting is unlikely to result in any big breakthroughs. The Saudis have less ability to drive down global oil prices than at many times in the past, because they are already pumping closer to their maximum sustainable capacity than during past price spikes. Analysts said the Saudis remain suspicious about Bush's intentions when it comes to a final agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. They said the Saudis are concerned about a number of developments in the Middle East, including the growing Shiite influence in the region, especially in Iraq, where the continued instability is a worry to the Saudis. Their religious establishment is dominated by the Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam.