Saudi leader accepts invitation to Bush ranch

Vice President Dick Cheney, left, met with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, right, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An unidentified interpreter sits between the two.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah, architect of a much-touted Middle East peace plan, accepted an invitation to visit President Bush at his Texas ranch, Saudi officials said Sunday.

Vice President Dick Cheney delivered the invitation while meeting Saturday with the Saudi leader.

Cheney on Sunday arrived in the Gulf state of Qatar, the latest stop in a 12-nation tour.

Bush asked Abdullah to visit his ranch to discuss Mideast issues of mutual concern, including Iraq and violence involving Israelis and Palestinians, U.S. officials said. The date for the visit has not been set.

Abdullah has put forward a peace proposal calling for Arab states to normalize relations with Israel if the Jewish state withdraws to its borders before the 1967 Six Day War. He plans to present the plan to the Arab League in Beirut, Lebanon, this month.

In Bahrain earlier Sunday, Cheney said he was told in Saudi Arabia that reports that Crown Prince Abdullah was opposed to action against Iraq and would not allow the United States to use its bases in any campaign against Iraq were "uninformed."

Cheney also said he hoped U.S. special envoy Anthony Zinni's efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians would succeed this week, Reuters reported. Cheney is scheduled to arrive Monday in Israel.

"Gen. Zinni is sort of on the front line. ... I hope he will have something positive to report by the time I arrive," Cheney said at a news conference before leaving for Qatar.