Facing the truth about the Saudis

Boston Globe ^ | 11/18/01 | Jeff Jacoby

[Jean S]

TO HEAR Prince Bandar tell it, Saudi Arabia is devoted to the United States.

''Our role,'' the Saudi ambassador said in a CNN interview some weeks ago, ''is to stand solid and shoulder-to-shoulder with our friends, the people of the United States.... In 1990, when we needed your help, you came through for us. And it's our turn now to stand up with you.''

[Sabramerican]

Saudi Arabia declared war on Germany in 1939.

Prove it. Should be easy.

[Patria One]

The success of the oil business in Arabia has more to do with the integrity and friendship between Saudis and individual oilmen from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisanna than it does with "the WEST". You really can't take ANY credit for it.

If you were less of a bigot and more curious it wouldn't take you long at all to find out what the Saudis have done with their oil money. Its thrilling and remarkable!

[Senator Pardek]

It's a lie.

[Gumption]

In our economy, whose decision is it to no longer buy Saudi oil and switch to Mexico (for example)

---

Wednesday, November 14

• Mexico cuts oil exports by 100,000 bpd  AFP / 8:30PM MEXICO CITY, Nov 14 (AFP) - The Mexican government announced late Wednesday that it would cut oil exports "up to 100,000 barrels a day" from January 1, if and when OPEC ratifies its conditional output cut and other producer countries do the same.

• OPEC escalates face-off with Russia amid oil crisis fears  AFP / 10:50AM VIENNA, Nov 15 (AFP) - Escalating a high-risk challenge, OPEC insisted on Thursday that key rivals like Russia must cut oil output to avert a full-blown market crisis -- but Moscow snubbed the call, even as crude prices plunged.

  Screw Mexico. Let's go with Russia until we no longer need any of them.

[Sabramerican]

Saudi Arabia declared war on Germany in 1939.

For those who need an introduction, Patria One is FreeRepublic's eminent Arab liar and propagandist. She has been booted from FR many times and has come back in many identities.

You can dismiss as lies anything she writes. For example, from a pro-Saudi site

Four years after the Kingdom is formed, oil is discovered by a U.S.-owned company, now known as the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco).  However, this does not make a serious impact until after World War II ends in 1945.  In the last year of the war, Saudi Arabia abandoned its neutral position and declared war against Germany.  Although not an active participant in the war, the declaration allowed Saudi to participate in the founding of the United Nations. 

[vbmoneyspender]

Saudi Arabia didn't declare war on Germany until (surprise, surprise) February of 1945. See Link No. 1. See also Link No. 2

[Sabramerican]

Not only is it a lie but she posted that same lie a while back and it was refuted then too.

She posts- she lies.

[Senator Pardek]

One day, the West will no longer need any Mid East oil, and that will be a godsend for the Saudis.

The $$$ has only made them miserable. They will be much happier when they revert to their natural state - as ignorant, peaceful nomads - wandering the desert for water.

[Torie]

The Mossad could have pulled this off.

You're credibility has just hit absolute zero. To what sect of Islam do you subscribe, or are you just an incorrigible anti-semite?

[Patria One]

You can't read either, can you?

[Gumption]

Oh crap, I agree with Torie ... must reevaluate ...

just kidding

[Torie]

Ya, having completed reading the entire thread, you claim you are a WASP, much to my embarrassment. You give WASPS a bad name. So I guess box no. 2 was correct, assuming you are being truthful.

[IronJack]

Prince Abdullah and King Fahd immediately called President Bush and expressed condolences, outrage and support followed by correpondence reinterating same.

So did Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein. Such expansive public gestures often are used to mislead the gullible. I see they worked.

[Torie]

Saddam Hussein.

Saddam Hussein? Are you sure about that? :)

[IronJack]

Is it at all surprising that the predatory powers are determined to dominate the region?

If we're so predatory, why don't we just go in and take the oil? Why didn't we do it 10, 20, 30 years ago? Without Western know-how, the oil would still be sitting there, and the Saudis would be chasing sand devils around on flying carpets.

[boris]

"If you were less of a bigot and more curious it wouldn't take you long at all to find out what the Saudis have done with their oil money. Its thrilling and remarkable!"

Enlighten us. BTW, financing terrorists doesn't count.

--Boris

[Gumption]

The oil concessions between US companies and Ibn Saud were signed in 1933. By the time the war with Japan broke out, the US was going full steam ahead to assure that we would ALWAYS have friendly access to petroleum. We did not get significant amounts of petroleum from Arabia before the end of the war, but that access has beeen our ace in the hole.

What does this have anything to do with your statement, "remember the war with Japan started over oil"?

[Patria One]

Its more complicated than that obviously. Japan needed oil and steel to continue their 1931-1945 aggression against China.

[Torie]

Here actually is a quite interesting and I suspect balanced account of the doings in Saudi Arabia (it was written pre Sept 11 of course). The power keg I would think is that 25% of the university graduates are unemployed. Plus, Saudi no longer has the money to finance a cradle to grave welfare state. Les bon temps appear to be over, over there.

[kosta50]

I have actually read the Koran cover-to-cover, rather than listening to what the PR flacks say it says. My point is that the Taliban ARE acting in keeping with Islamic teachings. The Koran advocates peace, mercy and fellowship towards fellow Muslims, but very specifically advocates the killing and enslavement of those who oppose the spread of Islam

Thank you. This is the most constructive post I have read thus far. An educated freeper, what a concept! Good job!