Posted on 05/13/2003 10:25:40 AM PDT by knighthawk
INDIANAPOLIS: President George W Bush on Tuesday denounced the bombings in Saudi Arabia that killed at least 91 people as the work of "killers whose only faith is hate."
He vowed to "find the killers and they will learn the meaning of American justice."
"Tuesday's attacks in Saudi Arabia, the ruthless murder of American citizens and other citizens, reminds us that the war on terror continues," Bush said.
Bush made the remarks at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, where he was speaking on his tax-cut and economic stimulus plan.
"My thoughts and prayers and those of our fellow citizens are with the families of the victims of yesterday's murders in Saudi Arabia," he said. "We pray for them. We mourn the loss of life," Bush said.
White House staff members told Bush about the bombings in Omaha, Nebraska, after he gave a speech on tax cuts, terrorism and the war on Iraq at a plastics manufacturing plant, said White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan.
On Air Force One, en route to Indianapolis, Bush received additional information in phone conversations with national security adviser Condoleeza Rice, Buchan said.
"He was briefed immediately following his remarks on Monday in Omaha, then he spoke to Dr Rice on Air Force One," Buchan said. "He was updated at the hotel and again by Dr Rice before he went to bed. This morning, he received an additional update from Dr Rice as well as his usual intelligence briefing."
Secretary of State Colin Powell, in the Mideast for previously scheduled meetings, learned about the bombings when he was awakened about midnight in Amman, Jordan. In the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Powell on Tuesday called the bombings an act of cowardice and said they bore the "earmarks of al-Qaeda."
More than a dozen people, including at least seven Americans, died in the blasts at residential compounds, even as there was confusion about the actual toll figures. A US official said that British, German, French, Australian and other Arab citizens were among the casualties which could be in the hundreds.
Powell saw the damage caused by the blasts during his six-hour stop in Saudi Arabia before going on to Moscow to prepare for Bush's visit to St Petersburg on June 1.
The crowd was fantastic. Bush could hardly get a full sentence out before the folks would just roar!
These so-called peace loving muslims generally hate the U.S., and preach from their schools and mosques that murdering Jews, Christians and Americans is the will of Allah. The only religion tolerated in Saudia Arabia is Islam. Christian worship is anathema in Saudia Arabia, and if caught, even in your house having (Christian) worship, you are liable for prison or worse. If a Saudi converts to Christianity, they can be condemned, and generally are, to death.
The President needs to let the Saudis and those like them, understand that hatred, bigotry, persecution and murder of non-muslims will not be tolerated and unless they change their laws and ways, they can expect to meet the same fate as Iraqis.
Private and public Saudi monies are pouring into U.S. mosques and U.S. Muslim organizations for one purpose, to replace Western democracy with a Muslim based government.
It's war folks and I regret to say, the President doesn't understand the Saudi problem for what it is. Otherwise, he'd insist that they change their anti-Jewish/Christian/West ways or suffer the consequences.
Job #1 should be to stop Saudi private funds from undermining our nation. Job#2 should be to give them an Iraq like ultimatum. Job#3, if necessary, should be shock and awe part2. Job#4 - gas @ .50/gallon.
Might as well have moved onto Riyadh while we were in the neighborhood. We are going to end up fighting the Saudis sooner or later anyway - which will take about 30 minutes, but will still be a total nuisance.
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