WASHINGTON, July 30: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has said that President Bush’s refusal to declassify part of a report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks would prevent the kingdom from clearing its name.

“We are disappointed ... but we understand the reasons”. “Everybody is having a field day and casting aspersions about Saudi Arabia,” said Prince Saud after meeting President Bush at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.

The unscheduled meeting was arranged on Saudi Arabia’s request but hours before the meeting Mr Bush announced he was not going to declassify the report.

President Bush announced his decision to turn down the Saudi request at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Giving his reason for not accepting the Saudi request, Mr Bush said: “There’s an ongoing investigation into the 9-11 attacks and we do not want to compromise that investigation.”

Commenting on President Bush’s refusal, Prince Saud said he understood why the American president did not want to declassify the secret portion of the congressional inquiry report.

“My concern is that the good name of Saudi Arabia is not tarnished,” said the Saudi foreign minister.

Prince Saud also announced that Saudi Arabia had decided to allow FBI and CIA agents to question an employee of the Saudi civil aviation authority who befriended two Saudi nationals involved in the 9-11 hijackings.

Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, but the Saudi government has asserted it had no involvement in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.

Prince Saud said National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice requested access to civil aviation employee Omar Bayoumi.

Prince Saud said his government was also in touch with Iranian intelligence officials on detained Al Qaeda suspects and had requested that any Saudi national among them be turned over to the kingdom.