Posted on 10/12/2001 7:07:45 AM PDT by callisto
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.
Think about how confused Hitlery must be with this. To her, the concept of turning down blood money from America's enemies is about as alien a practice as honesty and integrity. That witch wouldn't turn down a nickel from a crippled orphan. I only hoped Rudy returned the check after Hildebeast fawned all over the Saudi for his "generosity."
And we were foolish to do so.
It is essential, IMHO, to disconnect our well-being from control of the Arabian peninsula.
If we start building fast breeders tomorrow, we can tell Saudi goodbye in three years.
Let's roll!
The Usurper Senate Majority leader won't allow the bill to be brought forward.
The Saud don't like OBL...they were the first to kick him to the curb. BUT....they cannot be seen as sucking up to Uncle Sam for internal reasons. We may never know how much help they have beem in this effort.
We already see what is happening in Pakistan due to that government's somewhat harsher rhetoric.
Instability in regimes which have historically good relations with the U.S., such as Saudi Arabia, could cause this situation to escalate even more dangerously.
I think it would be a good idea for Rudy and the prince to mend their differences, to the point that the $10 million donation is accepted. Rejection of that donation could turn out to be a dangerous political event, IMHO.
We must all try to perceive things from alternative viewpoints, not just with tunnel vision.
After all, the goal here is to break the generational cycle of terrorism. If every hostile (to the point of endorsing terrorism) Islamic extremist was killed, that would not solve the problem. New recruits and sympathizers would simply fill the void.
We must use all tools at our disposal, military, political, religious, diplomatic, to fight and win this war. We won't do it by being reactionarily dismissive of the comments and observations of foreign leaders and allies...
He wants to give us money? Great. But can keep his ignorant opinions to himself. Better yet he can get down on his knees and thank us for showing him how the better half lives!
Like I say, we're AMERICANS and we don't even want to hear what anybody else believes. So if you stupid foreigners have something to say, just be sure its something we agree with!!!!
I have no use for these jerks. What good is being a trillionnaire if you can't spend it? The western world should just cancel these guys visas.
They are the WEAKEST LINK. GOOD-BYE!
I'm sure a LOT of people are utterly confused. LOL. These people are kinda slow on the uptake, aren't they? I guess the roof has to fall on some folk's heads first after all.
And have we got a hell of a mayor in this city, or what?
He also has part of his $20 billion personal fortune invested in AOL Time Warner, Apple Computer."
Hmmm, seems to me this Saudi prince's threat could be contrued as a terrorist threat. Hence, perhaps we should freeze and confiscate all his assets.
At current levels of use, we have an estimated 1,000 year supply of NATURAL GAS in the Gulf of Mexico ALONE.
Converting a gasoline engine to Liquified Natural Gas is a relatively inexpensive process.
LNG burns more cleanly than gasoline.
Why haven't we converted to LNG?
Start asking questions about that of your congresscritter and any oil company exec you can corner.
If we made the switch, we could tell ALL the Persian Gulf States to keep their farging oil.
Perhaps they can learn to eat or drink it as they will have far less money with which to buy their FOOD from the West.
Then I suppose we'll have to listen to the PC-do-gooders bitching and moaning about how the US caused the NEW problems of Saudi poverty and famine.
Let 'em bitch!
Here I was getting all indignant that the story didn't previously mention who the heck this person, Hizzoner, was! LOL. Way to go, Hizzoner!
Blood money is the right description. And Rudy has the cojones to return it.
How long would it have taken Charlie Rangel to cash that check?
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