A State Department report says "freedom of religion does not exist" in Saudi Arabia. It also says the Saudi government is responsible for "particularly severe violations" of religious liberty.

But Secretary of State Colin Powell is now taking some of the wind out of that report. In an interview broadcast on Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya, Powell paid tribute to the Saudi leadership in terms that contrasted strongly with the State Department report.

Powell said he hopes that, through dialogue, a way can be found to remove Saudi Arabia from the list of nations that violate freedom of religion. He also says the report's findings do not mean Washington wil punish Saudi Arabia.