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Rumsfeld calls report criticizing Saudi Arabia 'clearly harmful'
Associated Press | August 7, 2002

Posted on 08/06/2002 9:03:46 AM PDT by HAL9000

(Pentagon-AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it's "clearly harmful'' to make public a report criticizing Saudi Arabia.

Rumsfeld says the report doesn't reflect the views of the U-S government -- nor he adds -- even the Defense Policy Board.

He explains the report was prepared by the Rand Corporation and presented to a closed meeting of the defense group, which includes former government officials and experts.

The report claims the Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain. And it says the kingdom is America's "most dangerous opponent'' in the Mideast.

Rumsfeld says Saudi Arabia reflects a "broad spectrum of opinions.'' And he notes the kingdom is wrestling with a number of issues, including the fact that many of the September eleventh hijackers came from Saudi Arabia.

The defense secretary's harshest comments were aimed at those responsible for leaking the report. He says this probably came from someone who wanted to appear important.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) </blockquote



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: rumsfeld; saudiarabia
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Rumsfeld probably has steam coming out of his ears over this leak. I hope he can find out who leaked it and mete out the appropriate punishment. And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again.

Speaking of the Rand Corporation, I participated in a telephone survey they were doing a few weeks ago. The final set of questions was - had I considered stocking up on Cipro lately?

1 posted on 08/06/2002 9:03:46 AM PDT by HAL9000
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: HAL9000
Why was the proposal idiotic? Rumsfeld was only mad because it was leaked. It may have been leaked deliberately to put the Saudis on notice.
3 posted on 08/06/2002 9:22:30 AM PDT by LarryM
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To: LarryM
Agreed.....If this report is factually correct, then what's the problem?

Also, this was not an internal government leak as there were policy makers both past and present on hand when it was handed out.

The problem this poses is that the cat is out of the bag and it may make it difficult for the administration to from a perceptual standpoint navigate with the Saudi's. Then again, with this becoming public information, it may make the Saudi's more proactive to clean up it's own house.

4 posted on 08/06/2002 9:28:15 AM PDT by joesbucks
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To: Idol Hanz
We need to find the messenger and kill him pronto, he speaks the truth and for that he shall die! May God bless the United States of America, and may God help the United States of America.

So I guess what Rummy is saying is we KNOW what the Saudis are but we can't talk about it??

5 posted on 08/06/2002 9:29:23 AM PDT by teletech
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To: HAL9000
Actually, I agree w/ Rummy, but for a different reason.

I believe the US and the Saudi's are playing the same game. Both are pretending to be friends and allies on the surface, but know that there ill be a time when they'll throw down. Right now both receive certain benefits from the farce.

Neither side wants their plan to be public, even if it is painfully obvious.
6 posted on 08/06/2002 9:30:27 AM PDT by sharktrager
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To: Idol Hanz
Rumsfeld is just fooling the media. On the surface, I guess the US supposed to be friend of Saudi Arabia. I think, after we got f##ed by the Saudis on 9/11, we need to invade that country, and make them pay for the economic damage that their petrodollars help finance and their hate helped create. Rumsfeld and anybody else who think that Saudi Arabia is our friend, must have his head examined!
7 posted on 08/06/2002 9:36:14 AM PDT by philosofy123
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To: HAL9000
And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again.

I am curious as to why you think a proposal citing the Saudi's as acting contrary to US interests on a wide range of terrorism related issues is 'idiotic.' Seems to me there is a lot of evidence supporting the report.

8 posted on 08/06/2002 9:39:08 AM PDT by ffrancone
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To: LarryM
So it was leaked on purpose...or not. Cool.

My Dad used to advise me to deprive the enemy of what he wanted of you. Ours seem to want to have us figured out...mostly by reading our own media !

I guess that rat-hole is being plugged...or smoke being blown into it. Didn't I hear somebody mention smoking them out of their holes....their systems, methods, networks...

I hope we DO have an administration this formidable. In war, ya need that sort of thing.
9 posted on 08/06/2002 9:39:32 AM PDT by PoorMuttly
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To: HAL9000
I guess since the Rand Corporation is a corporation they can say or leak anything they want.

To me, it sounds right on target.

10 posted on 08/06/2002 9:47:54 AM PDT by babygene
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To: LarryM
Why was the proposal idiotic?

Because Bush, Rumsfeld and the rest of the administration have been trying to emphasize, clearly and unambiguiously, that the War on Terrorism is not a war against Saudi Arabia, and we expect their cooperation.

The Saudi's paranoia level was raised sharply in their dealings with Madeline Albright. Bush is trying to get back to the status quo ante.

Unfortunately, a few low level politicians in the Pentagon and the RAND Corp. are trying to undermine his strategy, which would harm his credibility with the nations he is trying to influence. There could be severe consequences, internationally and domestically.

11 posted on 08/06/2002 9:50:27 AM PDT by HAL9000
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To: HAL9000
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it's
"clearly harmful'' to make public a report criticizing
Saudi Arabia.

Harmful in the same way the head of the Drug War
characterized Canada's move to lessen the penalties
for possessing marijuana.  "It may force us to
reexamine our position."   Dangerous, indeed.

12 posted on 08/06/2002 9:54:14 AM PDT by gcruse
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To: HAL9000
>>And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again. <<

I presume you have read the report?

13 posted on 08/06/2002 9:54:15 AM PDT by SerpentDove
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: HAL9000
"Strategy" ? Ignoring the fact that Saudi Arabia is in reality actively financing terrorism directed against the United States is not a "strategy".
15 posted on 08/06/2002 10:01:10 AM PDT by spqrzilla9
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To: HAL9000
I was a real fan (pun intended) of Sally Rand, the founder.
16 posted on 08/06/2002 10:05:16 AM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot
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To: HAL9000; Dark Wing
Looks more like a means of distracting attention from the pending invasion of Iraq.
17 posted on 08/06/2002 10:13:30 AM PDT by Thud
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To: LarryM
LarryM,

You said: "Why was the proposal idiotic? Rumsfeld was only mad because it was leaked. It may have been leaked deliberately to put the Saudis on notice."

It may have been leaked to serve other purposes too.

18 posted on 08/06/2002 10:15:24 AM PDT by Thud
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To: HAL9000
You know, sometimes the truth hurts!
19 posted on 08/06/2002 10:18:10 AM PDT by TheBattman
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To: PoorMuttly; Dark Wing
The best disinformation comes in three flavors:

Untrue statements by people who sincerely believe it to be true;

True statements by people who sincerely think those are false;

True statements which create misleading impressions, or distract attention from subjects the perpetrator does not want the intended victims to look closely at.

20 posted on 08/06/2002 10:18:34 AM PDT by Thud
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