Posted on 04/26/2002 4:24:46 PM PDT by jmccoy1252
WEST BANK — The Saudi Arabian government paid more than $5,000 each to families of suicide bombers and other Palestinians killed in the terror campaign against Israel, according to documents obtained by Fox News.
The documents, discovered by Israeli intelligence officers, contain a list of 102 deceased Palestinians whose families have each been paid 20,000 Saudi riyals — the equivalent of $5,340 — by the Saudi Interior Ministry.
The names on the list were of suicide bombers and Palestinian commanders who had been killed in attacks against Israeli targets. It included the names of some of the highest-profile bombers who have been killed in recent attacks, among them children and women.
The documents, if genuine, contradict the Saudi government’s consistent claim that it does not directly pay suicide bombers’ families. The Saudis have repeatedly insisted the money they send the Palestinians goes to rebuilding areas damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops found the Saudi Interior Ministry documents when they raided Palestinian offices as part of their ongoing operations in the West Bank.
A spokesman for the Saudi Embassy, who was traveling with Crown Prince Abdullah in Texas following his meeting Thursday with President Bush, said he could not comment on the documents because he had not seen them.
But he repeated claims the Saudis "don’t pay suicide bombers." He criticized what he said was Israel’s attempt to link fundraising for Palestinians to suicide bombers, calling it "a disgrace."
The spokesman also said the story about the documents was Israel's way of trying to undermine the Bush-Abdullah talks.
Bush administration officials did not dispute the report, but noted the Saudis had said repeatedly they did not give money to the bombers’ families.
"The Saudis have assured us that they don’t want the money going to support violence," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Friday. He added that the Saudis had promised the funds would only go to "legitimate charities" in the Palestinian areas.
Earlier in the week, U.S. officials seemed more skeptical. Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate panel on Wednesday there were indications some of the $100 million collected in a Saudi telethon may have gone to elements of the Islamic military Hamas organization.
"There are troubling aspects as to how that telethon money would be distributed," Powell said. He said he would raise the telethon issue with Saudi officials.
Saudis pay suicide bombers families with U.S. petrodollars
It's time we let them try to eat that oil!
ANWR is stuck in the craw of many a Big Oil type since the dumbocrats blocked drilling.
Are we now seeing a campaign to expose the Saudis for what the are and in turn, anger the American public so they will encourage congress to drill ANWR?
A little propaganda campaign seems to be at work.
BTW.............the amounts were in Saudi denominations (Rials?) that gave $5K (US) per bomber. What a bunch of skinflints, Sad-damns got 'em beat there!
Saudi Arabia's unique role in the Arab and Islamic worlds, its possession of the world's largest reserves of oil, and its strategic location make its friendship important to the United States. Diplomatic relations were established in 1933; the U.S. embassy opened in Jeddah in 1944 and moved to Riyadh in 1984. The Jeddah embassy became a U.S. consulate. Meanwhile, a U.S. consulate opened in Dhahran in 1944.
The United States and Saudi Arabia share a common concern about regional security, oil exports and imports, and sustainable development. Close consultations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have developed on international, economic, and development issues such as the Middle East peace process and shared interests in the Gulf. The continued availability of reliable sources of oil, particularly from Saudi Arabia, remains important to the prosperity of the United States as well as to Europe and Japan. Saudi Arabia is often the leading source of imported oil for the United States, providing about 20% of total U.S. crude imports and 10% of U.S. consumption. The U.S. is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia is the largest U.S. export market in the Middle East.
In addition to economic ties, a longstanding security relationship continues to be important in U.S.-Saudi relations. A U.S. military training mission established at Dhahran in 1953 provides training and support in the use of weapons and other security-related services to the Saudi armed forces. The United States has sold Saudi Arabia military aircraft (F-15s, AWACS, and UH-60 Blackhawks), air defense weaponry (Patriot and Hawk missiles), armored vehicles (M1A2 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles), and other equipment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has had a long-term role in military and civilian construction activities in the Kingdom.
The Gulf War demonstrated U.S.-Saudi cooperation in the areas of cultural accommodation, as well as in military operations. For example, the United States military issued general orders prohibiting the consumption of alcohol and setting guidelines for off-duty behavior and attire. Saudi Arabia accommodated U.S. culture and its military procedures by allowing U.S. servicewomen to serve in their varied roles throughout the kingdom--a major step for a highly patriarchal society.
Currently, Saudi Arabia is an important partner in the campaign against terrorism, providing assistance in the military, diplomatic, and financial arenas.
Hey, easy there. We all know that Islam forbids lying. LOLOL!!
Oh yeah, they're Arabs, also. What can one say?
No wonder the French were so intrigued by the Levant; they wanted to learn additional skills from experts!
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