Time for a dramatic new initiative in response to a crisis situation ( Zogby's Freaking out!

arabnews ^ | 11.24.2002 | Dr. James Zogby

[swarthyguy]

The US-Saudi relationship, while still strong at the official end, is nevertheless in grave danger. Just how grave was brought home last week by the near hysterical press reaction to what was, in fact, a non-story.

The non-story involved Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, wife of Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan and, daughter of the late King Faisal. It appears that contributions made by the princess, through an indirect routing, went to an individual who also, at one time, provided some settlement assistance to two of the Saudis who were involved in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The connection was, at best, remote. In fact, there is not even a hint or a suggestion that the princess was engaged in anything other than an act of legitimate charitable giving. And after investigating the individual who was said to have assisted the two Saudi hijackers, the FBI found him innocent of any wrongdoing. Given the facts, this was a non-story.

But precisely because this non-story involved Saudis, it exploded into four days of major news coverage on all the US networks, the newsmagazines and the daily press. A leak from a Congressional committee and comments made by prominent US senators seeking to use television time for political advantage fed the non-story with allegations that a “Saudi money trail” existed, “possibly” tying the Saudi government to the hijackers. They called for an investigation and charged that “the Saudis aren’t doing enough.”

In reality, given the facts as they are, a better case could have been made to indict the US government for assisting Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, since McVeigh had been in the US military and presumably received training and financial support directly from the US government. Reports of a so-called Saudi money trail were in the instance under discussion even more remote.

But what caused the non-story to explode into the headlines were not facts about a “money trail.” It was that the story was about Saudi Arabia. The non-story was merely a ringing bell that served to awaken the demons of anger and hate in those who have a crazed reaction to all things Saudi.

I appeared on a number of the television programs where this matter was being debated. I went prepared to discuss “the story,” but became quickly aware that the problem was deeper and bigger than the non-story of the princess and the so-called “money trail.” One host, for example, almost immediately went on the attack shouting insults about “Saudi oppression of women,” “teaching hatred in schools,” and “oil.” As I looked into the face of this obviously distraught commentator, I thought, “This is beyond politics and facts; this guy needs psychological help.”

And this is my point. The situation has moved beyond misinformation and ignorance to an unhealthy fear and anger.

There are probably several factors that account for why this has all spun out of control. On the one hand, of course, is the terrible fact of 9-11 and the horrible shock it created. But it’s what occurred before and after 9-11, that is responsible for the current mess.

On the one hand, Americans, despite having favorable views of Saudi Arabia before 9-11, did not know the country and its people. As they began to ask questions about that country and its people after the terror attacks, those who were organized and ready to provide the answers were overwhelmingly hostile, not only to Saudi Arabia, but to all things Arab.

Within a short-time after 9-11, the conventional wisdom about Saudi Arabia and Islam was being shaped by anti-Arab bigots of the right and left, religious fundamentalists and political opportunists who saw it to their advantage to play along with this growing negative current.

With at least three all-news cable television channels and countless radio talk shows providing information to millions of Americans, a tidal wave of distortion overwhelmed efforts to provide a healthier view.

And so despite significant official efforts by President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and the Saudi government to inform the public discussion with a calming assessment of the US-Saudi relationship, they were drowned out by the steady flow of attacks by neoconservative commentators and the rantings by fundamentalist preachers. While defenders of the relationship focused on policy matters, the attackers focused on presenting an exaggerated and distorted view of the Saudi people, culture, religion and government.

It is said that ignorance can be dangerous, but more dangerous is ignorance compounded by fear. Even more lethal, however, is when fear and ignorance are fed with what passes for knowledge. It appears that all that is required these days to pass for an expert on Saudi Arabia is to know a few words like jihad, Wahhabi, shahid, madrasa, etc. In fact, if you can put a few of these words into one sentence, as in, “Saudis, inspired by Wahhabism are funding madrasas that teach jihad,” then you are a real expert.

This is what we are up against. The seriousness of the situation cannot be ignored. All of our efforts must be re-examined. The crisis cannot be resolved with passive programs; people aren’t reading books. They are getting information on TV and radio. And messages that reinforce fear and prejudice are more easily believed than complex discussions or explanations. “Finger in the dike” response approaches aren’t enough; the situation will not be remedied by “facts.” The public isn’t listening and politicians do not appear to be willing to buck the accepted “wisdom.”

The enormity of the current problem, of course, is that the anger and fear are two-sided. Just as Saudi Arabia’s favorable rating has plummeted in the US, recent polling shows that the US’s ratings have precipitously fallen in Saudi Arabia as well. Lost, in all of this, is the reality of one-half century of mutually beneficial partnerships that have served both peoples.

One of Bin Laden’s aims in his campaign of terror has been to destroy the US-Saudi relationship. It has become increasingly clear that his goal is shared by those on the US side only too eager to add their own poison to the well of understanding.

What is required at this time is a recognition of the severity of this problem and a clear-headed understanding of the fact that what is needed is a dramatic new initiative to respond to a crisis situation. Those who value the US-Saudi relationship must come together to design an approach worthy of the challenge. It must be dramatic, but it must also be sustained over the long-term. A positive event, like a significant new policy initiative, can serve as a “wake-up,” but it will only help turn the deteriorating situation around, if it is followed by an intensive effort to provide new information to an awakened public. What Americans still need to know is who Saudis are and what their country is all about. They were uninformed before 9-11, they’ve been frightened and angered by disinformation after 9-11. The challenge now is to inform.

[swarthyguy]

The challenge, jimbo, is not to inform but to shut down the funding, the madrassas and the vicious junk propagated in the USA.

Methings he doth protest too much.

[swarthyguy]

Also well worth reading from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies on Saudi ideology permeating the USA....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/785872/posts

[Dan Day]

The challenge, jimbo, is not to inform but to shut down the funding, the madrassas and the vicious junk propagated in the USA.

BINGO!!

As I was reading Zogby's screed I was formulating a similar retort in my mind, but I see you beat me to it.

[GaryMontana]

Zogby is a racist pure and simple. Does he condem the hatredt that spews forth from Islamic clerics calling for murdering all non-muslims? No. There is not one word by Zogby that says what Muslims are doing around the world with their hate speech about anyone non-Muslim is wrong. Zogby is a racist pure and simple.

Yet you even think about arabs in a bad way and zogby jumps all over you!

[swarthyguy]

YOu're right. I saw him on Hardball once where he 'debated' a guy named Tashbih Sayyed, one of the few sane ones. Sayyed cleaned his clock by unequivocally condemning jihadis - Zogby was left sputtering and stammering as he hastily agreed with Sayyed.

http://wwww.paktoday.com

Or search on Sayyed for some of his columms posted here -

Titles - Eagle will not blink
Green Wall

[swarthyguy]

You can just the eyes boggling and the spittle as he wrote this.

His gravy train is derailing and he's not happy.

[Savage Beast]

Arabian culture is rich and beautiful. Perhaps the Saudi aristocracy could lead the way in reconciling Islam and the West.

When France and England, Protestants and Catholics, the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. faced each other as hostile enemies, it seemed that their differences were hopelessly and eternally irreconcilable. Perhaps Islam and the West will find a way to coexist.

[maranatha]

I watched the Saudi press conference today, this guy went so far as to say about innocent money from charities going to terrorists similar to people who gave to Jim and Tammy Baker. Can you believe this guy? Zogby and all Arabs are maddening to listen to.

[Nick Danger]

One of the stupider things that one could do, if one were trying to smooth over Saudi-US relations, is use the language of partisan politics to make one's case.

Turning this issue into one of left vs right, in a U.S. domestic political sense, not only misses the mark but is guaranteed to alienate at least half the readership, for no apparent purpose.

One must therefore dismiss this work of Mr. Zogby as that of a domestic political crank, more interested in spewing venom at U.S. conservatives than in explaining his case or advocating anything at all.

The reference to Timothy McVeigh is more than unnecessary, it is an offensive leftist shibboleth. It is something he and his cocktail party circuit view as something that "everyone knows," yet most political conservatives view the whole anti-military tone of such a rant as Clintonesque nonsense. What's worse, a growing number of people suspect Middle Eastern involvement in that little escapade, and that makes dragging McVeigh into the argument an even worse choice.

What is this nonsense about "attacks by neoconservative commentators and the rantings by fundamentalist preachers?" Is Christopher Hitchens now viewed as a right-winger? What of the other leftist commentators who have made similar remarks? What utility is there in appealing to domestic U.S. political divisions when making this foreign policy case? Why is Zogby antagonizing half his audience, when there is no need for it?

Zogby is an extremely poor spokesman for his cause. He is so caught up in liberal U.S. politics that he cannot even see that he is doing this. The Saudis would do well to ask him to shut up. He is harming them more than he helps with this kind of screed. If they are paying him to perform this service, they should fire him forthwith.

[cksharks]

If the Saudies told the US to stick the relationship up our a-- and kept the oil you would quickley change you tune.This was explained very well on Britt show tonight.If it was not for the Saudies increasing oil production,defying the cartel gas in this country would jump to $3.00/gal.Our economy would go in the crapper.AThey are wrong for exporting terrorism but we also supported terrorism in South America. We did it to help defeat communism they did it for self protection. Two sides to every story.

[Bahbah]

"And this is my point. The situation has moved beyond misinformation and ignorance to an unhealthy fear and anger."

He could not better describe the problem in muslim countries.

[sarasmom]

"In fact, if you can put a few of these words into one sentence, as in, “Saudis, inspired by Wahhabism are funding madrasas that teach jihad,” then you are a real expert."

Hey, who says everthing this man says is a lie?

Based on this article,and the insulting commercials Saudi Arabia has produced, one would think Saudi's watch way too much television, and are incredibly coerced by marketing schemes.

Dont they get cable, read books, or have internet access over there?

[swarthyguy]

>>Perhaps the Saudi aristocracy could lead the way in reconciling Islam and the West

They've had 50 years of oil revenue, including the boomtimes of the 70's (for them). After the Afghani jihad they could've been very happy with their pivotal role in helping to bring down the Soviet Union, instead, they threw in their lot with the jihadis and the clerics, virtually enslaving their population to the religious tyranny of the mad mullahs.

They have not worked to move their populations or of other muslims around the world into a modern mindset but encouraged a fanatical and medieval jihadism that blames everything on the nonmuslims of the world.

I think their time has come and hopefully, gone.

The renaissance in islamic thought will come from India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey.

The muslims of america are a reactionary lot who've been very disappointing to say the least. Apart from notable exceptions, the muslims here toe the jihadi wahahahabi line and have not shown any inclination to modernise.

We can coexist after the influence of the wahhabis has been decimated so that other long prevalent forms of islam can flourish. We forget the fanatic Wahhab is only a couple of centuries old. But very powerful, because of their oil revenues.

[swarthyguy]

BTTT.

[A Citizen Reporter]

" people aren’t reading books"

I beg to differ with you, DR. Zogby. I'm reading an excellent book entitled "Islam in History" by DR. Bernard Lewis.

[TLBSHOW]

zog is still mad he was way off on the election, me thinks his biz is down! lol

[swarthyguy]

There was a TV report that showed how fashion sites are censored by the Saudis - the men censor the sites that women can surf. But the malls have Victoria's Secret stores. Go figure.

BTW, what's wrong with that quote. It's correct and true.

[swarthyguy]

That's his brother, John, who runs the polling outfit.

[TLBSHOW]

they both work for

http://www.zogby.com/news/index.cfm

[EternalVigilance]

This is JAMES Zogby...the famous pollster's Dem operative brother...correct?