Saudi prince says U.S. should not dismiss Arab peace proposals

CAIRO, Egypt -- The United States has taken a "step back" from its support of a Saudi plan to achieve Mideast peace by launching its own plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, a top Saudi official said.

Saudi intelligence chief Prince Nawaf also called President Bush's call for a change in the Palestinian leadership "illegitimate."

"Do the Americans accept to be told who they should elect and who should be their president?" Nawaf told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in comments published on Saturday.

Nawaf, who is the brother of Saudi King Fahd, questioned why Bush floated a plan to break the Mideast logjam after earlier supporting a Saudi peace proposal, which won wide Arab endorsement.

"I wonder why the U.S. wants to take such a long shot when we have a readymade initiative that has all the elements of success," Nawaf reportedly said. It was unclear when he gave the interview.

In March, an Arab summit in Lebanon adopted a plan floated by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Abdullah, promising Israel normal relations with Arab states in return for lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War.

On Monday, Bush made his own play to end the violence, urging democratic reforms and a new Palestinian leadership "not compromised by terror" as steps that had to be taken before an independent Palestinian state could be achieved.

Nawaf asked "why (would America) take a step back?" after it had earlier welcomed Abdullah's plan as a "valid and comprehensive (peace) project."

His comments echoed calls by fellow Arab and Islamic leaders last week.

A Khartoum meeting of the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Conference on Thursday agreed not to consider Bush's speech "as a new initiative when we already have an Arab initiative ... already adopted."

Saudi officials have been generally supportive of Bush's speech, but have said they want U.S. clarification on certain parts of his initiative.