Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler said Monday he remains hopeful that a war in Iraq can be avoided and said he believes that U.S. policy in the Middle East is tilted toward Israel. Interviewed from Riyadh on NBC's "Today" program, Crown Prince Abdullah also denied that his Persian Gulf nation is a breeding ground for terrorists. Of Iraq, the crown prince said, "I have a strange sense that it may not come to war despite the momentum and the buildup in that direction."

"I believe that force only begets death and destruction," he said, adding that he hopes a way can be found to resolve the fight over allegations Saddam Hussein has and is seeking to build weapons of mass destruction.

Appearing on the same program, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said, "Iraq is not Saddam Hussein alone. Iraq is a country that has been there for at least 5,000 years. It is a mistake to think of Iraq as Saddam Hussein alone. If you tell Iraqis war is coming, regardless of any conditions that apply, they will support Saddam Hussein."

Asked if there can be a peaceful solution if evidence is found that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, he said, "If in the final analysis, if we don't succeed, those who are working for war can have their war as they please, which is going to be a catastrophe for the region."

Asked why many people in Saudi Arabia have negative attitudes toward the United States, the crown prince cited "the situation in Palestine and the American policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and said some bitterness has been caused by "some unfair attacks against the kingdom" in the American media.

Questioned about the Middle East conflict, he said, "America was founded on the basis of justice and equality and this is what is required to bring this conflict to an end. This is what the Palestinian people are seeking."

Asked whether his kingdom can be relied upon in the war against terrorism, given the fact that 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis, he replied, "I believe that no society is immune from deviants and extremists. This situation exists in every country and every society and every state. These individuals do not represent their states. They do not represent the prevailing thinking in their societies."

The crown prince said "I would suggest that the American people study the holy Quran and the Islamic faith. Our Quran and our faith reject the taking of lives."

Asked how difficult is it to balance the kingdom's interest in progress with its fundamentalist beliefs, he said, "Our Islamic faith is a forward-looking faith, a faith of learning and a faith of science - and there should be no contradiction."

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Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler said Monday he remains hopeful that a war in Iraq can be avoided and said he believes that U.S. policy in the Middle East is tilted toward Israel.