US officials sought in vain to get security improvements, ambassador says

Associated Press/sfgate.com ^ | May 14, 2003 | KEN GUGGENHEIM

[SJackson]

The United States sought futilely to get security tightened around western residential compounds in Riyadh before this week's terror attack, the American ambassador to Saudi Arabia said Wednesday.

"As soon as we learned of this particular threat information, we contacted the Saudi government," Robert Jordan said. He said the U.S. government asked the Saudis for such security improvements "on several occasions."

[Thebaddog]

The guards at the gate didn't have guns. The Saudi's will say anything to distract us, but it really does appear that they aid these attacks by their negligence.

[Numbers Guy]

"The war on Iraq was a distraction," Graham, a former Intelligence Committee chairman, told reporters at the Capitol. "It took us off the track of the war on terror which we were on a path to win, but we've now let it slip away from us."

The sad fact is, any Islamofascist nutjob who wants to blow himself up and kill eight Americans probably will be able to do so, War on Terror or no War on Terror. We can't prevent every attack.

What we can do is disrupt the groups enough so we can greatly reduce the risk of a much larger attack. But we're going to continue to suffer the smaller-scale attacks, just as we continue to suffer murders of all other forms in our society.

The War in Iraq made us safer, not less safe, as we're now well-positioned among Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, any nation providing sanctuary to terrorist groups now has two examples, in Afghanistan and Iraq, as to what happens to nations harboring terrorist groups. If Graham hasn't figured that out by now then he's nowhere near qualified to be President.

[MEG33]

A pox on the Saudis for their lack of concern.

[Feckless]

I had a hooch in the Vinnell compound during Desert Storm, only stayed there a few days during pre-deployment FNG training and a week after the war waiting for a flight home. Very unsecure, right next to a major highway with a guard shack at the entrances. I understand the guards (Saudis) were still unarmed.

[twntaipan]

No--WRONG--they aided the attacks by their actions, not their negligence.

It is time for the USA to apply the same travel restrictions on Saudi as they have on Cuba and North Korea. Saudi money can be burned in hell, and their oil is not as valuable now as it was with Saddam in power.

[Dialup Llama]

>The guards at the gate didn't have guns. The Saudi's will say anything to distract us, but it really does appear that they aid these attacks by their negligence.

Not negligence. The Saudis were very careful in making sure there was no effective security on the critical day. Saudi = Al Queda. At critical moments, in coordination with the terrorists, critical lapses in security will suddenly appear.

[Egregious Philbin]

Just amazing. We take out Saddam, but handle the Saudis with kid gloves.

[tbpiper]

If Graham hasn't figured that out by now then he's nowhere near qualified to be President.

We've already had one lying sack 'o sh@t democrat for a president. We certainly don't need another one.

[sarasota]

I'm sticking with the theory that we've sent the signal to pull out our troops and will access the fallout. I doubt that we need more proof of the Saudi straw house than this episode.

[Thebaddog]

We've tried the travel restrictions in the past and the Saudi's raise up a fuss. Iraq is able to pump more oil that Saudi Arabia when they get rebuilt. That could be the trump card for those closet terrorists.