PhotoDude.com

Fri. Jan 03, 2003

When Will The Friendship End?

When Will The Friendship End? – Soon, please. “U.S. government officials tell NBC News that scores of al-Qaida operatives are now cycling back and forth between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and that 30 to 50 al-Qaida members are believed to be in Saudi Arabia at any one time. The claim raises new questions about Saudi cooperation in the war on terror.”

Jeebus, what will it take? We have a Senator saying “I think there is very compelling evidence that at least some of the terrorists were assisted not just in financing—although that was part of it—by a sovereign foreign government and that we have been derelict in our duty to track that down…” And though Senator Graham doesn’t mention Saudi Arabia by name, Sen. Schumer does: “’This is so typical of the Saudi attitude towards terrorism’ said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., ’and al-Qaida and their so-called friendship with the United States.’”

Senators not enough? How about a former CIA director? “Former CIA chief James Woolsey calls it extremely troubling. ’There are only two possible reasons, if there are substantial numbers of al-Qaida inside Saudi Arabia, why the Saudis would not be dealing with them,’ said Woolsey. ’Either they’re unwilling to do so, or they’re unable to do so.’ ”

Or a terrorism expert? “Still, critics charge that an autocratic regime like the Saudis could do much better. ’They’re not trying,’ says terrorism expert Steve Emerson. ’Clearly, there are elements in Saudi Arabia that do not want to clamp down on the support for al-Qaida or the existence of al-Qaida operatives. That’s the issue.’ ”

I have this sad fantasy. I’d like to believe that we will bring about regime change in Iraq, using the new basing arrangements we’ve made with other countries in the Persian Gulf, and then tell the Saudi monarchy to go pound sand. Remove every American from Saudi soil, from ambassador to Army private. Reveal all that is known about Saudi involvement with Al Qaeda, and fully call them out, publicly: You are not our friends.

It’s a sad fantasy, because a larger part of me believes that the Bush administration’s head is so far up the Royal Saudi Butt that they’ll never acknowledge the real light of day. And it’s a light that shines bright and clear for many of us.

Our most realistic hope is that some Democrat will use this baseball bat as a campaign issue to whack on Bush.