Sands shift under House of Saud

[pms]

Sometimes I wonder if the admin isn't trying to triggered the big C.  Capitulation.  Leading to the big D.  Then their friends and relatives can buy up all the cheap assets as they've supposedly done in Asia.  Probably forclosing on South America. They certainly have good ideas for devaluing the dollar.  In case there's any Arab money left in the market.

  ----- Original Message ----- 

  From: R 

  To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com 

  Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 2:19 AM

  Subject: Re: Sands shift under House of Saud

  The Sunday Business Post

  http://www.sbpost.ie/story.jsp?story=WCContent;id-53303

  Sands shift under House of Saud

   By Tina-Marie O'Neill

  Dublin, Ireland, 11 August, 2002

  The Saudi Royal family

  Age: King Fahd: 80; Crown Prince Abdullah: 78

  Appearance: Similar bearded appearance. Always dressed in traditional

  Islamic garb. Like ageing Saudi rockstars, they're rarely seen without

  heavy dark sunglasses 

  Newsworthiness: 

  Crucial in any US-led attack on Iraq, the unstable monarchy is clinging

  to power 

  The United States is facing the potential nightmare that Saudi Arabia,

  its pivotal long-time ally in the Middle East, may not support an attack

  on Saddam Hussein. Last Wednesday Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud

  al-Faisal went further and told the United States its forces would not

  be allowed to use its territory as a base in the event of such a

  military campaign.

  Meanwhile, the US had distanced itself from a leaked think-tank

  recommendation that the United States `target' Saudi oilfields and

  financial assets if the Arab kingdom doesn't do more to fight terrorism. 

  The suggestion was made in a briefing to the Defense Policy Board, a

  group of intellectuals and former senior officials which advises the

  Pentagon

  "Saudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies," the briefing

  said, describing Saudi as "the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most

  dangerous opponent" in the Middle East. 

  Not only has all of this focused international attention on the Kingdom

  of Saudi Arabia and the ruling Saudi elite, but it has also highlighted

  the previously unanticipated scale and severity of domestic unrest, and

  the fragility of the royal House of Saud. 

  Americans are all too aware that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers

  were Saudi nationals. A recent report presented to the Pentagon

  depicting Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the US has forced President George

  W Bush and his administration to re-evaluate its fair-weather friend and

  question US dependence on the faltering regime. 

  continued

  http://www.sbpost.ie/story.jsp?story=WCContent;id-53303

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <../attachments/20020812/1dfface7/attachment.htm>