SYRIAN PRESIDENT STARTS SAUDI VISIT     KUN0025 4 GEN 0289 KUWAIT /KUNA-UAY9   POL-SAUDI-SYRIA-BASHAR   SYRIAN PRESIDENT STARTS SAUDI VISIT     JEDDAH, SEPT 18 (KUNA)-- SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD STARTS ON TUESDAY   A ONE-DAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA THAT HAD NOT BEEN   ANNOUNCED BEFORE.   ARAB DIPLOMATIC SOURCES SAID PRESIDENT BASHAR WOULD DURING THE VISIT HOLD   TALKS WITH THE SAUDI MONARCH AND CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING FAHAD   BIN ABDULAZIZ AND CROWN PRINCE AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND HEAD OF THE SAUDI   NATIONAL GUARD PRINCE ABDALLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ.   THE SOURCES SAID SAUDI-SYRIAN TALKS WOULD DISCUSS THE LATEST INTERNATIONAL   DEVELOPMENTS IN VIEW OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE US LAST TUESDAY AND THE   US DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.   AL-ASSAD WOULD ALSO DISCUSS MEANS OF BOOSTING BILATERAL TIES AND THE   SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AMID NON-STOP ISRAELI AGGRESSIONS ON THE   PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.   THIS VISIT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AS IT COINCIDES WITH THE US RALLYING   SUPPORT IN AN ATTEMPT TO FORM AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION TO JOIN THE BATTLE   AGAINST TERRORISM.   IT ALSO COMES AMID INTENSE ARAB DIPLOMATIC MOVEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS   TRYING TO REACH A UNITED ARAB STAND CONCERNING THE US RETALIATION AND ITS   POSSIBLE REFLECTIONS ON THE ARAB WORLD IN ADDITION TO ARAB PARTICIPATION IN   THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM.   PRESIDENT AL-ASSAD WHO ARRIVES HERE THIS AFTERNOON FROM SANA'A IS   ACCOMPANIED BY A DELEGATION OF OFFICIALS INCLUDING FOREIGN MINISTER FAROUQ   AL-SHARA'.   AL-ASSAD HAD LAST VISITED SAUDI LAST FEBRUARY AND HELD TALKS WITH BOTH   SAUDI MONARCH AND CROWN PRINCE. SAUDI CROWN PRINCE ABDALLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ HAD   ALSO VISITED SYRIA LAST JUNE AS PART OF A TOUR THAT INCLUDED STOPS IN SEVERAL   ARAB AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. (END)   ZZ.WSA   KUNA 181232 Sep 01NNNN