interesting read for those who suspect saudi of ill will.... | FerrariChat

interesting read for those who suspect saudi of ill will....

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by ross, Mar 16, 2004.

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  1. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
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    this was in 'the american thinker'




    December/2003





    The Saudi War on George Bush
    March 10th, 2004


    Saudi Arabia has launched an undeclared war on George W. Bush. This simple fact must be understood by policy and strategy elites, the press, and the general electorate. Otherwise, the Saudis may well succeed in their tacit campaign to sabotage the long term success of America’s war on terror, by engineering the electoral defeat of George W. Bush in November.



    President Bush has provoked this response by proclaiming his intention to encourage democracy and liberalism in the Middle East, liberate the Arab masses from despotic rule, bring peace and prosperity to the region, and halt the spread of militant Islamic terror groups. Unlike past Presidents who, in varying degrees, paid lip service to these ideals, President Bush has acted decisively on them. His politically perilous actions, such as his invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, his conditioning support for a Palestinian state on the cessation of terror, corruption, and dictatorship, and his active promotion and support for liberal groups in the Arab world, have aroused Saudi fears and provoked a quiet counterattack.



    George W. Bush seriously disrupted the previous cozy relationship that Saudi Arabia historically enjoyed with the Bush family -- and with Washington power brokers, in general. The Saudis feel that their family’s absolute rule over the kingdom may be endangered, and that their efforts to spread their virulent brand of Islam, Wahabbism, may be curtailed by the current Administration. The Saudi royals may well feel abandoned, and in their disillusionment have resolved to prevent a second term for George W. Bush.



    The Saudis traditionally had a symbiotic relationship with the Bush family and with George H.W. Bush’s coterie among the policy elites of the Republican Party. The largesse of the Saudi royal family is legendary. The Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bander bin Sultan, has boasted of his success in cultivating powerful Americans:



    If the reputation then builds that the Saudis take care of friends when they leave office, you would be surprised how much better friends you have who are just coming into office.



    The list of ex-office holders who propagate pro-Saudi spin is a long and disgraceful one. Hume Horan is an ex-Ambassador to Saudi Arabia who is a noble exception to the rule. He says this of his former colleagues who are now on the Saudi dole:



    There have been some people who really do go on the Saudi payroll and work as advisors and consultants. Prince Bandar is very good about massaging and promoting relationships like that.



    This phenomenon becomes self-evident in charting the history of Bush I and his White House staffers. Former President Bush I traveled the lecture circuit in Arab lands, earning upwards of $100,000 an appearance. Sentiment-tinged gifts to his Presidential Library and $500,000 to fund a scholarship in his name at Phillips Academy Andover (son George W’s preparatory school, not coincidentally) are certainly important, but pale in comparison to his profits from participating in the Carlyle Group.



    The Carlyle Group is a supremely successful merchant bank, which also has James Baker (Bush I consiglieri) and Brent Scowcroft (Bush I National Security Adviser) as partners. This particular investment group has enjoyed access to investment funds from the Saudi royal family. Undoubtedly, the triumvirate of former officials, none of them previously renowned for investment prowess, has handsomely prospered from the arrangement.



    One-sided relationships are fleeting and rare in the political world, and one is entitled to ask what the Saudis have received in return for their munificent gestures. Publicly, James Baker and Brent Scowcroft have written editorials critical of the approach Bush II has taken towards the Middle East (particularly his support for Israel and regime change in the dictatorships that rule the Arab world). The New York Times reported in 2001 that Bush I had phoned the Saudis in Bush IIs’s presence, and assured them that his son would do the “right thing” with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Presumably, this meant pressuring the Israelis.



    This sort of arrangement, a comforting one for the Saudis, whose sybaritic lifestyles promoted a level of comfort unknown to all but a few human beings in the history of mankind, began to end as the two Boeing 767s approached the World Trade Center on that fateful morning over two years ago.



    The terror attacks convinced George W. Bush that America’s approach to the Middle East needed to be drastically changed, to ensure America’s safety. His campaign to oust the Taliban from theocratic rule in Afghanistan and his defeat of Saddam Hussein sent a message to the Saudis that “business as usual” was a thing of the past. In calling for liberalism throughout the Arab world and for the acceptance of other religions, Bush challenged the support structure of the Saudi royal family, whose legitimacy is predicated on their role as defender of Islam’s holy sites and propagator of the faith.



    Much more importantly, in severing the ties that once bound, Bush II has declared that the ties of filial duty, which both animate and constrain the dynamics of the Saudi royal family, do not matter so much in his family. Not anymore, at least, no matter what the former appearances. In doing so, George Bush has become an apostate to the Saudis. It is not merely a matter of interests, but rather an issue of deep principle, fundamentally linked to their own way of life, and to their survival.



    From the vantage point of the Saudis, Bush II is not just unreliable, but also a danger. He is a self-identified born-again Christian, and is closely allied with the religious wing of the Republican Party. In a theocratic nation which forbids the practice of Christianity, a leader linked to rival religion is anathema. In their eyes (as well as those of some of President Bush’s most ardent opponents) he may seem to be something of a theocrat himself, but from a longstanding historical rival religion.



    When the President’s Christian moorings are combined with the exaggerated role that Jewish neo-cons supposedly have in the White House (once again the fevered imaginations of the Saudis bear some resemblance to those of the President’s most extreme domestic antagonists), trouble of the most fundamental sort looms for their regime. All along, the fanatic Wahabbi wing of the clergy has preached that a holy war exists with the West, and that accommodation with the infidels can only be a tactical pause in the eventual all-out war. From their perspective, it is easy to understand why George W. Bush -- the Christian “puppet of the Jews,” and thus the embodiment of Wahabbi nightmares -- needs to be removed from office.



    How have the Saudis acted to destroy George Bush’s political career? By using the “oil weapon” to torpedo the American economy over the next eight months, and thereby weaken electoral support for George W. Bush’s candidacy in November.



    The Saudis have traditionally been a swing producer within OPEC, acting to ensure oil prices remain “just so -- not too high, not too low” by increasing or decreasing their marginal production. Oil prices which are too high may encourage conservation and the development of alternative energy supplies. Prices which are too high also weaken the Western economies where Saudi Arabia’s investments must be parked.



    However, this historical concern seems to have been trumped by Saudi short term desires to inflict as much pain on the American economy as it can, by raising oil prices in the run-up to November.



    By restricting OPEC output since the end of hostilities in Iraq, the Saudis have forced oil prices up over the past several months. The American economic recovery is being slowly, almost imperceptibly, throttled. From a low of $23.61 per barrel in May, 2003, average crude oil prices have risen rather steadily, to $31.03 last month, up nearly one-third in eight months. If this rate of increase continues over the next eight months, the economic consequences for America will be grim.



    Jobs are not being created at the expected rate, and increasing voter dissatisfaction with the President is shown in public opinion polling, with jobs and the economy heading the list of concerns. Additionally, the Saudis may have been reducing their holdings of petrodollars and converting them into non-dollar denominated assets. This has hurt the value of the dollar. Money flows are difficult to follow, and currency manipulation may have unintended consequences, but a proxy for the Saudi desire to hurt America may be seen in the increasing number of oil field contracts going to non-US companies.



    The other factor which may hurt Bush’s chances for reelection is the situation in Iraq. Terrorists have been streaming in from Saudi Arabia, to wreak havoc and fund terror groups, despite protestations to the contrary by Saudi spinmeisters. Although attacks have been trending downward, an increase over the next several months would trigger renewed cries of “quagmire!”



    On the domestic front, Saudi-funded think tanks such as the Meridian International Center and the Middle East Institute have been a fount of op-ed writers and experts on cable news channels, who criticize President Bush. The Middle East Institute (headed by ex-Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Edward Walker) is the home of one of President Bush’s fiercest critics, Joseph Wilson. Mr. Wilson was at the center of a scandal that plagued the White House when Wilson charged that the White House had leaked to columnist Robert Novak the information that Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent, thereby putatively endangering her.



    Wilson has proudly declared that his goal in life is to destroy George Bush’s Presidency. It is telling that this man, who has no campaign experience, was recently hired by the Kerry campaign. Given that Wilson is also a fierce critic of Israel, the Saudis seem to have spent their money wisely.



    The Saudis require stealth for their plan to succeed. They cannot be seen to be suddenly, openly, and catastrophically retaliating against President Bush, as OPEC did with its 1973 oil boycott in the wake of Israeli victory in war. The American public is in no mood to be pushed around by feudal Arab regimes. Instead, they have opted to quietly tighten the noose on the American economy, hoping to escape public blame.



    The Bush Administration, which still needs to deal with the Saudis, and many other repressive Arab regimes on the receiving end of Saudi largesse, undoubtedly perceives what is going on, but is constrained by the norms of diplomacy from openly acknowledging the reality of the situation. Voices urging accommodation with the Saudis are still heard within the State Department and elsewhere in the foreign policy apparatus.



    Neither the Bush Administration nor the Saudis can afford to have explicit and open conflict disrupt important ongoing common interests. Third parties also depend on the smooth flow of oil to markets. Nobody wants a cessation of Saudi oil exports or any other extreme measures, which could cripple America economically, and disrupt our military readiness, not to mention the disastrous consequences for poorer countries.



    Nevertheless, it appears to be the case that the Saudis are engaged in a silent slow motion war with George W. Bush’s Administration, aimed at limiting his Presidency to a single term. If they continue with this plan, Republicans can take nothing for granted in November.



    Ed Lasky
     
  2. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
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    I don't know where to even start on this one.....:p
     
  3. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I will help you out.

    1. Saudi Arabia has spent 70 billion dollars on exporting funamentalist
    Wahibism worldwide.


    Bandar's wife gave $$$ to one of the 9/11 hijackers before their mission.
    She claimed it was for dental work. We all believe that.


    2. Saudi Arabia has funded terrorism in the past, and present. They
    will continue to do so.
     
  4. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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    Art 355 and the rest of the leftists need to read this... goddammit I want to scream from the mountaintops when I hear Kerry and all the other dem minions talking about oil and the economy. Only a FOOL cannot see this for what it is. BTW, this PROVES GW II is a man of principle. I could say SO MUCH MORE but I won't because you guys will think I am a lunatic, if you don't already.
     
  5. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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  6. MarkG

    MarkG Formula Junior

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    Was this article written by Oliver Stone?
     
  7. Uberpower

    Uberpower Formula 3
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    blah.

    Viewing this article from the macro, it is totally insipid.

    The Carlyle Group connection is no secret, neither is the Saudi connection with the Bush family. The Carlyle group owns much of what you look at on a daily basis, for people in LA... if you look at that tall non-descript white building at the corner of Wilshire and the 405... that is theirs, so is the non-descript white man in the Oval Office.

    It should be blatantly obvious to all but the most simple minds that GW is merely a puppet who attempts to empower himself through self-application of religious verse from the Bible (see: MOAB, "If you are not with me you are against me"). In reality, he takes direction from many.

    Those quick to jump in and point out his "great leadership skills" must recall one of the first things done after the "defeat" of the Taliban... a fresh new Afghani oil pipeline! Hooray!

    What about Brown and Root (Halliburton/Cheney) overbilling $60m to the American Government for food supplies? Houston economics are great!

    What about the WMD? Where are they? Dunno, but we control Iraq's oil now and who got the contract for the rebuild of Iraq? Brown and Root. Surprise!

    Does the US government have American's best interest in mind despite corruption at the highest levels?

    Yes.... but here is a twist, the US may have indirectly initiated this "war" by seeking out countries as alternative oil vendors. They did this to break the monopoly that SA had on the US for the oil markets. This sucks, and is not their fault- but very possibly a result of the aformentioned action.

    Am I "unpatriotic" for posting this? No, I fully accept that the "cost of doing business" in the worldwide economy will continue to be paid regardless of my ultimate position on the topic. The "cost of doing business" is obviously, innocent lives. But, hey- if it makes my gas cheaper right?

    It makes me sick to my stomach when I see someone say "Bush (or America) is trying to spread "Democracy" or "Freedom" by waging these wars"

    Whatever. There is no global altruism, there is only desire for continued American economic dominance which may, or may not indirectly benefit the American people.
     
  8. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

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    The Saudi "Royal" Aholes were no better than any other Camel Humpers before the UK installed them in power in the 19th C ( I think it was 19th C, could have been early 20th C )

    If the UK could install them maybe its time we Uninstall those treasonous Royal Camel Humpers
     
  9. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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    You got my vote.. said the same thing in 1990. Their stranglehold over us is pathetic, to put it mildly. These people would be eating DIRT if it was not for our unquenchable thirst for oil. Royal Family my ARSE!!
     
  10. rcallahan

    rcallahan F1 Rookie
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    You know guys, IF GWB is really gunning for the Saudis (which is very hard for me to belive) then I applaud him. Maybe he is planning to turn our troops around and cakewalk to Riad? You know the Saudis have no army (they actually pay for Pakistanis to defend their country!!

    Saudi Arabia is where the terrorist are taught there wicked ways, where their money comes from, and where 15 of the 911 hijackers come from.

    GWB could very easily convince the USA and the world (Europeans too) that it is very much needed to remove the infrastructure of these groups by taking on SA (more oil too!)

    But, the downside is we will have to return to the draft. We just do not have the army to take on all these wars. So....back to the draft, and this time there are NO deferments for school, and probable no deferments for people with anal cysts (like Limbaugh). :)
     
  11. ART360

    ART360 Guest

    The other foot hasn't dropped yet. Chavez in South America has vowed to cut us off of oil, if we continue to meddle in his countries affairs. We import about 20% of our oil from his country. I wonder if we got the message, or if we're going to test his resolve. My best is we're going to test his resolve, and get caught. Any bets on what happens next? By the way the country is Venezuela, and we apparently either attempted or support a coup against him last year, that didn't work.

    By the way as to those that point this out as being something that those on the left should consider, I ask why isn't our government considering this in its action, and doing something about it? Stupidy, or non existance of any such threat? I didn't find the movie Conspiracy Theories very interesting.

    We don't have to worry about conspiracies against us, those in charge are more than capable of screwing things up without any assistance.

    Art
     
  12. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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    I agree the Saudis are BS and we need to take them out!!
     
  13. RussianM3_dude

    RussianM3_dude F1 Rookie
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    Chavez is an autocrat and US was supporting a LEGAL challenge against him that was supported by at least 50pc of the population. Chavez crushed the insurrection through strong arm tactics. Let's not forget he is Castro's bosom buddy.
     
  14. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

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    I cant wait for the US to smack this ***** like they did to Noriega. This guy is a 10¢ dictator sho needs to be smacked down like the insignificant bug that he is

    Ive heard that China & now the Saudis are backing Kerry, Guess who I'm voting for ?
     
  15. rcallahan

    rcallahan F1 Rookie
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    Kerry? :)
     
  16. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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    Agreed, they need to be taken out hard. Then we can have our . 87 cents a gallon gas again, the way it should be!!
     
  17. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

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    What if the Saudis think likewise and want to take our leaders out?
    Would you support the notion that any leadership that is not in agreement with all other leaderships should be able to be taken out?
    How do you draw the line?
    Would you have supported the assination of Hitler in (say) 1936?
     
  18. MarkG

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    Bush and the Saudi Royal family are like peanut butter and jelly: immediately after 9/11, before responsibility could even be guessed at, Bush had all the Royal family members and Bin Laden’s family flow back to Arabia, even while American’s were grounded. Why did the White House know so soon to get middle easterners out of America???

    Halliburton (Dick’s company) got a ‘no-bid’ contract (now, how's THAT for fair and balanced?) to rebuild Iraq, got caught screwing America (big surprise there), risks getting tossed out of Iraq – SOOOOO……Bush, who couldn’t name the 9 planets to save his life, suddenly decides to send men to Mars, and guess who will be getting most of the contracts for that??? You guessed it-Halliburton!

    Iraq WMDs a threat to America? Heck, they couldn’t even get one MiG up in the air; to believe Iraq, or AQ for that matter, can bring America to it’s knees would be to say a handful of cave dwellers can succeed where Jefferson Davis, Santa (remember the Alamo!) Ana, Kaiser Wilhelm, Tojo (remember Pearl Harbor!), Hitler, the Soviet Union, Viet Nam, Korea, the Spanish (remember the Mane!) Red China, the Sioux (remember The Little Big Horn!)Nation, etc. etc. failed – it just defies logic. (seems America has a lot of “remember the …..” incidents though).

    Can terror groups do damage to America? Of course. Here’s a list of a few:

    1. alcohol industry “terrorists” will kill more people this month via car accidents and alcohol related murders than died in all foreign terror attacks against America throughout our history; add alcohol related disease and the death toll would equal that of a nuclear blast over NYC.

    2. tobacco industry “terrorists” will kill more people this week than foreign terror attacks against America have throughout our history

    3. firearm manufacturer “terrorists” in America will help facilitate the killing of more Americans this year than foreign terror attacks against America have throughout our history

    4. gang terrorists in America will kill more fellow Americans this year than foreign terror attacks against America have throughout our history; try taking a leisurely stroll through South Central LA; pick nick in Cabrini Green; jog through East Palo Alto; drive your F car down Macarthur Blvd in East Oakland; try working midnight shift at a 7-11; drive a cab in Bed-Sty NY;

    5. CEO and large stock holder “terrorists” destroying the lives of millions of Americans for personal greed by robbing retirement funds and sending American jobs to places like Red China, even while the Bush Admin encourages American’s to ‘Spend! Spend’ to help revive the economy after 9/11.


    The Middle East is not a threat just to America, it’s a threat to the entire World. The entire World was behind us after 9/11, and Bush blew them off, the ‘great uniter’ divided the World against America; the results in Spain is just the beginning.

    Doesn’t mean I think Kerry is the answer. We don’t have an answer in November.
     
  19. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Yes, in 1938, along with Stalin, Mao, & the Japanese military leaders
     
  20. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

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    I was in NYC Sept 11, 2001 & that city STOPPED for several days, air traffic stopped for a week, the financial damage to US & World markets was in the high Billions, not even mentioning the 3,000 dead & the property value those Camel Humpers destroyed.

    They can seriously destabilize the US & world economy as they proved on Sept 11. They are a serious threat & deserve to be wiped out
     
  21. matkat

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    Do you not think that if the Saudi"s were taking out as you put it there "might" just be a call to arms from the whole World Muslim population? please remember that the 2 most Holly sites of Islam are in Saudi Arabia(Mecca&Medina) this could possibly lead to an all out onslaught against the Western world by the Islamic World,do you think that it is worth the Risk?
    I certainly do not,neither do I have the answer but am sure inciting this sort of scenario would lead to something we would wish we had never started.
    Dave Mc
     
  22. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

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    See, Bush is the great unifier--he unified the whole world against US.
     
  23. tifosi69

    tifosi69 Formula 3

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    You know what? Who gives a damn? The "whole world" are a bunch of pacifists who can't even, in many instances, even support themselves or make a move without our money. Not to sound cliched but there does come a time when you have to draw a line in the sand... there is a true delineation between good and evil and if you don't see that you are deluding yourself.
     
  24. ART360

    ART360 Guest

    Chavez was elected, and the coup was NOT legally authorized. We are now supporting a recall, which as I understand it is still pending because of certain problems with the signatures. Those against him, generally the middle and upper classes (who are not a majority there) are supported by the US. Like I said, we'll probably test him. What justification would we use to intervene if he decided to embargo the oil from us? Devine right?

    This is crazy, we don't have the right to make sure that every obeys us. Thinking like that will absolutely guarantee thta someday, someone will tell us no, and when push comes to shove, a whole bunch of people will be dead. That's one reason we don't allow those under 35 to run for President, but occassionally we got someone who may be that old physically, but not mentally.

    Art
     
  25. MarkG

    MarkG Formula Junior

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    "that city STOPPED for several days, air traffic stopped for a week"...EXCEPT for the air traffic used to get the Saudi's and Bin Laden's family home.

    "They can seriously destabilize the US & world economy..." yea, like Bush's CEO buddies sending millions of American jobs to India and China doesn't?

    I do believe however WilliamH, saddly, you are right. I don't believe Islam and the Free World can co-exist. Iraq will no more consider American Christian Democracy occupation as 'liberation' than America would consider Soviet Athiest Socialism occupation as 'liberating'.
     

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