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.
I almost ran off the road with laughter during my drive-in.
RE#6 -- You really believe this BS?
I almost ran off the road with laughter during my drive-in.
Heard it. Too funny!
Another idea for Bush: Tie Fahad to the front of his F250 and drive through the cactus' -- what the heck is the plural of cactus? Cacti? Oh well, you get the point. It's an exersize in visualization.
Nah!
We should pay suicide (homicide) bombers to take out the Saudi Royal (but not very) Family.
I expect President Bush to adhere to his oath of office. He is now operating at a level of responsibility above that required in the typical business dealings between multi-millionaires and global corporate interests.
That is not to say that at times the interests of nations and corporations may not rightfully comingle. However, in a conflict of outcomes between the two, national interests must trump corporate interests. Especially concering issues of morality.
I believe the President is acting accordingly, in an extraordinarily difficult situation. To be sure, there have been some changes in direction along the way. This is partly because it is not always clear how best to proceed on circumstances that have do be addressed with diplomacy -- it's rarely "my way or the highway" in international matters unless you are prepared to conquer a country militarily. Many participants (in this arena) are on a learning curve. Best to be pragmatic, even if being so creates a perception of vascillation. I, for one, am prepared to grant the benefit of any doubt.
Bush is doing the right thing with the Saudi's, playing them like a Stativarius, and you're critical???
Go back to the DFU were you belong....
NeverGore
It is worth noting that the Israelis probably would not have these documents if they'd done what Bush has been asking them to do ... withdraw immediately.
I certainly hope that Bush is holding his cards close and understands that appeasement will not work with the Arab leaders. They will see it as a sign of weakness. Furthermore, the fact that 15 of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi should not be ignored. If the Saudis continue to support terrorists as they clearly have done and insist on a show down over Palestine, then now may be a better time than a decade from now, when the Saudis and their allies are even better armed with weapons sold to them by us, our enemies and our other "allies", to deal with it. If this is indeed a clash of civilizations, then we better make sure we are on the winning side and make sure they don't have time to develop weapons of mass destruction.
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