Saudi Prince Threatens Payback for Giuliani Snub

Newsmax ^ | 10/12/2001 | newsmax

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

Friday Oct. 12, 2001; 9:40 a.m. EDT

Saudi Prince Threatens Payback for Giuliani Snub

Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal suggested Friday that he'll make New York pay a price for Mayor Rudy Giuliani's refusal to accept his $10 million dollar check for the Twin Tower relief fund, saying he's ready to "put his money where is mouth is."

The Saudi prince contributed the big bucks after Giuliani gave him a tour of the World Trade Center disaster site Thursday. Bin Talal said at the time, "Saudi Arabia is with the United States wholeheartedly."

But hours later the wealthy Arab released a statement saying:

"I believe the the government of the United States should reexamine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance towards the Palestinian cause. Our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of the Israelis while the rest of the world turns the other cheek."

Upon hearing about the bin Talal's press release, Giuliani condemned the statement as "highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous." Hizzoner's aides returned the Saudi's money after determining that his check had not yet been cashed.

The mayor's snub prompted the Saudi prince to leave in a huff for home, where he spoke to NBC's Andrea Mitchell.

"He's not backing down," Mitchell told radioman Don Imus Friday morning. "He says he has a big stake in New York (and) he puts his money where his mouth is."

Bin Talal's financial stake in the Big Apple includes a $10 billion investment in banking giant Citicorp, half ownership of the Plaza Hotel, substantial investments in the Saks Fifth Avenue department store and NewsCorp., the parent company of the New York Post and the Fox News Channel.

He also has part of his $20 billion personal fortune invested in AOL Time Warner, Apple Computer.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Sounds like a terrorist threat against our economy. Time to freeze all his assets here.

Totally agreed!

[ChemistCat]

This guy has 20 Billion dollars. He gave 10 MILLION. Let me see.

10,000,000/20,000,000,000= 0.0005 He wrote a check that amounted to 5/10,000 of his assets.

I probably have a positive cash value of $17,000 or so if you subtract my debts from my assets and add the balance in my checking account. I'd have to completely divest myself from everything to raise that much, and I'm assuming I could get full value for my possessions. Unlike this prince, I don't have rich relatives who could easily make it up to me if I gave up everything I owned.

If I gave 0.0005*17,000 to victims of the NYC WTC bombing, I would give EIGHT DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.

In other words, what the Noble Prince of Arabeee gave NYC, the town he claims to care so much about, is the equivalent to him of $8.50--about the cost of one budget family meal, to me. I've given more than that at one time to a man holding up a sign "Will Work For Food And Shelter."

Pass this fact along. Guiliani, I'm proud of you once more. Throw his money on the ground and spit on it. That's all he deserves, the selfish stinking cretin.

[There's millions of'em]

I agree with Rudy.

Further, I think this "prince" should be exposed for the parsimonious little pimp that he really is.

His wealth (estimated at 20 billion) is a direct result of the support the US has provided his country. He would probably be long dead were it not for the US.

His $10 million "donation" is laughable. It is the equivalent of someone with a net worth of $100,000 donating $50. It is simply meaningless.

With so much of his wealth invested in the US, one would expect him to make a meaningful financial gesture of support.

1 Billion would be the minimum imho.

[Robear]

Maybe, that's the point. Two cultures, one exceedingly wealthy in spirit, but poor in resources, the other, wealthy in resources but truly poor in spirit. Look at that little bit of land and people telling these Arabs: 'bring it on, we'll kick your butts again and take more of your land'. Maybe that's what you get when you're on the right side.

[Greg Weston]

Along with the un-American GOP Globalists.

[mercy]

Wake up and smell the gasoline. If the Saudi's will grease their tiny little members with good ole crude the American public will gleefully bend over and say 'thankyou massah' afterward.

DEPORT NOW!!!

IT IS OUR LIFE AND DEATH !!!

[monkeyshine]

History does not prove you to be correct. They gave up all of the Sinai, including the oil wells, to get peace.

[Walkin Man]

I wonder if prince Abdul has ever heard the song "Rock The Casbah"?

He'll be livin it soon!

[MaxwellWolf]

Great maybe he can sell near the market low! Somebody buy him a camel so he get ride out of town.

[Cold Heat]

-So nice to hear from you. I find it a honor to be called ignorant by such a upstanding member of the FR community. On the subject of Lawrence, I suggest you post a quote or a link to back up your assertions. Oh,,,,,I'm sorry, you don't do that do you? I have never seen you do that. You make assertions which have no basis in fact and the you cower behind statement like-" Bin laden never mentioned it because the fact is too obvious to him to imagine any one does not know the truth. I suggest you read T. E. Lawrence."

Lets see you post a link to that little tidbit of information.

[Cold Heat]

If you have any interest in the truth you will look for it. If not, well, then we know the answer

I love your replys. So thoughtful and full of information to validate your arguments.

" Bin laden never mentioned it because the fact is too obvious to him to imagine any one does not know the truth. I suggest you read T. E. Lawrence."

Your knowledge of Ossama seems to be very personal. You actually seem to know what he is thinking. Perhaps you can explain that. I await your usless reply.

[One4Indictment]

Why are camels called "the ships of the desert?"

Because they're full of Saudi Arabian semen!!!

[Doc On The Bay]

Taking your logic one step furthur, I know a number of "Oil-men" who would have NO PROBLEM drilling for oil through "radioactive glass!"

We are NOT as "Dependent" as a number of these "puffed-up Princes" would like to believe.

Their personal "fiefdoms" exist ONLY because we are willing to tolerate SOME egocentric silliness to avoid expensive conflict in our oil supply.

Our National patience IS limited.

Perhaps--after 9/11--the Saudi "Princes" might take a CLOSER LOOK @ "which side their Bread's buttered on...."

Doc

[Libertarian_4_eva]

What astonishes me is why we remain so oil dependent when we have such great and unexploited energy reserves.

Why not just use hydrogen? You can make it by running a wire threw a pool of water and put some current threw it. Its cleaner and something we can setup here without the eco-weenies crying. Its also dirt cheap over the long term.

[swampfox98]

If the idiot Democrats would allow us to drill for oil in Alaska, we could tell the Middle East to get lost. But no, the caribou would get mad. We don't want the caribou to not like us.