There has been a strong reaction in the Saudi press to recent comments from the US administration that Saudi Arabia is not doing enough to help combat global terrorism.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said this week that whilst the Saudis were a "good partner" in the war against terrorism, they could do more, and the US was looking at ways to improve Saudi effectiveness.

'Victims of terrorism'

The daily Ukaz, which is often critical of US policy in the Middle East, carried a commentary on

We are not one of the banana republics. We will not allow any transgression of our sovereignty

Ukaz

Wednesday entitled "US Bankruptcy".

The tone is one of extreme irritation at the charges. "We do not know what kind of lies will come next", it says.

"What we do know is: We were the victims of terrorism long before America. We believe in the need to fight terrorism within an international framework.

"Most importantly, we are not one of the banana republics. We will not allow or forgive any transgression on our sovereignty or decisions, even if this means we will be classified by an American institution or liar - and they are so many - as 'an enemy state'."

Making enemies of moderates

The daily Al-Riyad, which has the largest circulation in Saudi Arabia,

If the US is interested in devising a foreign policy that does not provoke a billion Muslims, it should be wide open for dialogue

Al-Riyad

publishes an editorial on Wednesday under the title "We are all in the US circle of accusations".

The paper shakes its head at the US stance.

"America continues to fight the same countries that have been helping it clamp down on terrorism", it complains, "losing the friendships of countries that are more moderate in their perspective of the Islamic and Arab reality in the process."

It continues: "If America is indeed interested in devising a foreign relations policy that does not provoke a billion Muslims, it should be wide open for dialogue".

Otherwise, it argues, "thousands of terrorist cells" will emerge.

US 'cowboy mentality'

In a commentary, the daily Al-Watan accuses the US of deep ignorance.

"The current situation proves that US state and media institutions lack the simplest criteria for understanding the social fabric of Saudi society", it says.

The charge of terrorism has started to drag innocent people into the dirt

Al-Watan

"It has put an entire tribe on trial because of the last name of one wanted individual and entire regions on trial because of a place of birth."

The commentary takes issue with what it calls the "American cowboy mentality".

"We are in danger and should take it seriously. The charge of terrorism has started to drag innocent people into the dirt."

"Those who can fight the American might should go alone and show us what they can do," the commentary concludes.

Some truth in charges

An editorial in Ukaz admits however

Our good intentions will be of no use if some of that money was to finance actions that might be harmful to us or others

Ukaz

that the charges of alleged funding links to international terrorism may have some truth.

"We must not rule out any possibility.. we must expect that some money has gone out of our pockets to the perpetrators of those attacks, even if it was done indirectly and without our knowledge."

The paper looks to what can now be done. "We must adopt a mechanism that complements our commitment to fulfil the duties called for by our religion in terms of giving money to charity to be used in religious, legal, and even political fields."

It concludes: "Our good intentions will be of no use if some of that money was to finance actions that might be harmful to us or others."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.