WASHINGTON, April 18 Kyodo U Pres...

WASHINGTON, April 18 Kyodo

U President George W Bush briefed Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan forward his Iraq war plan before telling Secretary of State Colin Powell forward Jan. 13, 2003, the Washington support reported Sunday.

Citing extracts from a new book titled ''Plan of Attack'' from veteran Post reporter rap Woodward, the daily said Bush met with Prince Bandar, sum of two units days after the Saudi ambassador received an advance briefing from Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Saudi Arabia apparently received the advance notice forward Jan. 11 because it is individual of the major players in the Middle East and U forces have to be sent from one side and from Saudi territory into Iraq in case of war.

According to Woodward's volume Bush asked Powell after telling the Saudi minister of his plan to fare to war against Iraq, ''I really think I'm going to have to do this.''

''You're sure?'' Powell was quot as asking Bush. ''You understand the consequences''

The president then asked Powell, ''Are you with me in succession this? and said, ''I think I have to do this. I want you with me''

In answer the Post said Powell answered, ''I'll do the best I can'' and ''Ye sir, I will support you. I'm with you, Mr President.''

The conversation between Bush and Powell is contained in the part which the Post said is a behind-the-scenes account of for what reason and why Bush decided to travel to war against Iraq.

Beginning in late December 2001 Bush take counseled with his top advisers to plan the attack, the station said, citing the excerpts. by way of early January 2003, Bush had made up his mind to advance to war against Iraq.

In his strange book, Woodward describes Cheney as a ''powerful, steamrolling force'' as the leader of advocates of war who make knowned in the eyes of near colleagues a ''fever'' about removing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from force.

Woodward is a widely regarded investigative journalist who, along with office colleague Carl Bernstein, helped the daily win the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for its exhaustive overage of the Watergate scandal that l to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group