Saudis ask White House to Declassify Portions of 9/11 Report
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon takes his case at the White House. This follows last week's visit by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. The president and Mr. Sharon are expected in the Rose Garden later this hour. We're going to take you there live when it happens. We begin with a look at some of the obstacles along the road map to peace that President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon will be talking about. Our White House correspondent Chris Burns joins us now with details -- Chris.</s>CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well hello, Daryn. Those talks are to take place some time this hour. The two leaders will be discussing, as the White House said this morning, the progress made since Red Sea summit when Mr. Sharon, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister, and Mr. Bush got together and talked about the president's road map for peace that is aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state by the end of 2005. However, the White House also says they believe more can be done. Now what happened last week when the president met with Mahmoud Abbas here at the White House, both of them expressed concerns about the wall or the security fence, as the Israelis call it, that is being built through parts of the West Bank aimed at preventing, according to the Israelis, preventing Palestinian militants from crossing into Israel proper, also crossing in to some the Jewish settlements along that border in the West Bank. So that is one of issues. Another are the settlements themselves, and the question of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel. Now, Ariel Sharon, who is going to meet with President Bush this hour, has decided to release about 500 or so prisoners. However, the Palestinians are not placated by that. Israel has also lifted a couple of checkpoints on the West Bank. Again, the Palestinians say that's not nearly enough. It's very important to push ahead for this road map for peace. Sharon, however, saying, contending, that the Palestinians need to dismantle the Palestinian militant groups. So we seem to be at loggerheads here and very important to see what kind of statements are made by Mr. Bush and Mr. Sharon. Back to you.</s>KAGAN: Well we're looking forward to that. Also it is a big day at the White House. Also the Saudi foreign minister will be there with President Bush later today. The Saudis none too happy with this report on 9/11 in terms of what is not released.</s>BURNS: Well exactly. This report on 9/11 last week 900 pages. But the 28 pages that were held and not declassified, the Saudis would like to see them declassified so they can answer some of the reported allegations being that supposedly there was a Saudi official linked to financing the hijackers, and most of 9/11 hijackers were Saudi. And they would like to refute that. The ambassador here is saying that they want -- they need -- they can't argue against blank pages. They need to be able to talk about what is declassified. The president, however, deciding against declassifying today. Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, saying that we will not put invaluable intelligent sources at risk by declassifying. That we understand the concerns of the Saudis. But they will do nothing to compromise the nation's security. This being they contending there are investigations going on, there is evidence in those report and that they could compromise the sources in those investigations. Democrats on Capitol Hill, however, saying that it's only just aimed at preventing information from coming out pointing to the White House as being in part responsible for the breakdown and putting the points together and connecting the dots before 9/11, trying to prevent that from actually happening. So, Saudis kind of caught in this crossfire. We'll see if there's any statement made later today after that meeting. However, the meeting between President Bush and the Saudi prince is going to be made privately. Back to you.</s>KAGAN: So more stuff behind closed doors. What about these investigations taking place in Congress? Is it possible that the information that is not being made public in this report could come out in that venue?</s>BURNS: Well in fact it actually has already. Charles Schumer, for instance, senator from New York, Democratic senator, having said that those documents do point to, imply an official Saudi connection to 9/11 hijackers. And this is something the Saudis would like to refute in some way but they want that declassified so they can specifically talk about how they are not directly involved. There are some who say that it is not a direct official involvement. There could have been some government employees who did pass some money to charities that gave some money to these terror networks. It's all very murky and this is what the Saudis would like it make more clear.</s>KAGAN: All right. Chris Burns at the White House. Thank you. We'll be checking with you throughout the morning. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com Report>