Posted on 06/26/2006 7:10:11 PM PDT by Sabramerican
.....Matthew Levitt, formerly a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and now deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury, has just published Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad. He notes that last September Israel arrested an Israeli Arab, Yakub Muhamad Yakub Abu Etzev, who played central militant, political, and financing roles for Hamas in coordination with what Israeli authorities described as a “Hamas command in Saudi Arabia.” Until he was arrested, Etzev was in contact via e-mail with senior Hamas officials in Saudi Arabia. According to Israeli authorities, Abu Etzev confessed to receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from Hamas headquarters in Saudi Arabia as well as instructions, which he passed on to Hamas field operatives. The funds entered the West Bank through human couriers and money changers, often under the cover of dawa (Islamic charity and proselytism work).
Saudi officials insist that then-Crown Prince Abdullah officially withdrew the kingdom’s support for Hamas in early 2002. However, late last year, Saudi television was still running a program on the “jihad” in Palestine that implored viewers to donate funds to the intifada. A caption on the screen informed prospective donors that they could send funds through the “Saudi Committee for Support of the al-Quds Intifada’s Account Ninety-Eight … a joint account at all Saudi banks.” .. government-created account continues to fund Palestinian organizations, preeminent among them Hamas.
Michael Barone recently noted that President Bush has a much better sense of history than do many of his critics. The president, Barone argues, understands the need for bold action to confront an existential threat better than any president since Harry Truman. Yet, somehow, Bush has a blind spot when it comes to this desert kingdom, and it threatens to undermine the central pillar of his presidency.
(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...
That is a problem.
The Saudis showing their true colors....again and again.
Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.
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The "blind spot" concerning the Saudis is not a George Bush problem.
It is a problem with the permanent government at the State Department, DOD and CIA.
It is a problem in the ranks of every single top leader of both major parties.
It is a problem in the majority of the print, television, radio and internet media venues, here and around the world.
Some it is ignorance and some it is oil - who will confront the Saudis with the strength that that real confrontation on their sins against their "western friends" requires.
So the real "blindness" they adopt is a "blind faith" that our "business relationships" will eventually "moderate" the Saudis. However, that faith is (a)based on ignorance of the western hatred imbeded in the religious beliefs and psychology of the Saudis and (b)is guided by nothing, absolutely nothing but a dumb hope.
When 9/11 occurred, many of us saw its events as reflecting forty years of foreign policy failure to perceive the full extent and nature of the steadily building threat.
How many more years will it be before we live out the results of failing to confront the Saudis on their treachery.
Sure, they attack Al Queda, inside their own civil war, while Saudi money, Saudi organized education and Saudi influence continues to create the blind followers of radical Islam all accross the Middle East (and Europe); provinding the foot soldiers for the terrorists that official Saudi policy says it opposes.
Good reply; I don't think you missed anything and I agree with it all (should note that there are small groups in State, CIA and the Pentagon who share our views, but I suppose they are used to being lumped in with the others.)
Ever hear of Bandar Bush?
The Bush family are so close to the Saudi Royals that they consider them relatives.
This blind spot with the Saudis is a Bush problem, not just the State Dept's.
And Clinton's speeches in Saudi Arabia and Gore's speeches in Saudi Arabia, both casting the WOT actions of their nation in a bad light represent??????????, with respect to the Saudis.
It is NOT an isolated Bush problem.
I never implied it was an isolated Bush problem.
But it is more prominent when the Bush family is in office.
Well that problem it is not always black and white,
as was evident when Louis Freeh needed Clinton's help in getting Saudi cooperation to interview the suspects in the Khobar towers bombing, and Clinton refused to apply any pressure (for three years)(he wanted the Saudis to contribute to his Presidential library fund) and GHWBush successfully advocated with the Saudis for Freeh and got the Saudi's cooperation.
Has father and son also failed to apply pressure when we would prefer they had not? Yes. More often than Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagn or Clinton? No.
Most Presidents defer to the Saudis, unfortunately.
None have the personal and business ties of the Bush family though James Baker.
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