Gulf states meet for crisis talks
The Gulf states are the Muslim world's wealthiest
By the BBC's Frank Gardner in Cairo
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and the five other Gulf Arab states are gathering in the Saudi port of Jeddah for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the current crisis over terrorism.
Diplomats are hoping the meeting may give some clues as to how much military help Washington can expect from its Gulf allies in America's coming retaliation, which may be much less than it would like.
The Gulf Arab states are caught in an impossible position - they would like to help America fight terror, but they dare not enrage their Muslim populations by openly joining a military coalition that could end up targeting other Muslims.
Bin Laden is himself from a powerful Gulf Arab family
Not since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 have their governments been put in such an awkward position.
The aim of the summit, which was called by Bahrain, is to try and thrash out a common Gulf policy in reaction to the devastating attacks on America.
Washington will be watching the meeting closely.
It needs all the support it can get from its Gulf Arab allies, both politically and in terms of military facilities, to fight its new war against terrorism.
Divided loyalties
The US can certainly count on Kuwait, which has jumped at the chance to repay America for its liberation from Iraqi occupation.
Bahrain, too, is unlikely to put any restrictions on the US Navy's 5th fleet which is headquartered there.
But for Washington, Saudi Arabia could be a problem.
Saudi Arabia is one of the few states to recognise the Taleban regime
Thousands of US airmen and their warplanes are based there all year round but the Saudi Government is acutely aware of its own devout Muslim population.
Many see the Americans as infidel invaders, as defilers of the land that gave birth to Islam.
If Saudi Arabia refuses to allow Washington the use of its bases for a military strike, it would force the Pentagon to rely more on its naval task forces in the Gulf and that could delay military action by several days, or possibly weeks.
Palestinian angle
There is also the complication of Israel.
While the Gulf Arabs condemn terror, they also condemn Israel's ongoing occupation of Arab land.
In fact, most see the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, not Osama Bin Laden, as the biggest threat to Middle East peace.
Arabs see America as part of the [Palestinian] problem
Because Washington is such a close ally of Israel's, Arabs see America as part of the problem.
So the Gulf states will doubtless hedge their current support for the US by reminding the world that a fair solution to the Palestinian problem cannot be delayed for much longer.
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