Former Senate Intelligence Chair: Rise of ISIL Caused by US Failure to Investigate Saudis Over 9/11

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/25948-former-senate-intelligence-chair-rise-of-isil-caused-by-us-failure-to-investigate-saudis-over-911-attacks

The rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) has been aided by the continuing failure of the US Government to investigate the role of Saudi Arabia in the 9/11 attacks and its support of jihadi movements such as al-Qaeda in the years since, says former Senator Bob Graham, the co-chairman of the official inquiry into 9/11.

Senator Graham, who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that successive administrations in Washington had turned a blind eye to Saudi support for Sunni extremists. He added: “I believe that the failure to shine a full light on Saudi actions and particularly its involvement in 9/11 has contributed to the Saudi ability to continue to engage in actions that are damaging to the US – and in particular their support for Isis.”

Senator Graham, a distinguished elder statesmen who was twice Democratic governor of Florida before spending 18 years in the US Senate, believes that ignoring what Saudi Arabia was doing and treating it as a reliable American ally contributed to the US intelligence services’ failure to identify Isis as a rising power until after it captured Mosul on 10 June. He says that “one reason I think that our intelligence has been less than stellar” is that not enough attention was given to Saudi Arabia’s fostering of al-Qaeda-type jihadi movements, of which Isis is the most notorious and successful. So far the CIA and other intelligence services have faced little criticism in the US for their apparent failure to foresee the explosive expansion of Isis, which now controls an area larger than Great Britain in northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

Senator Graham’s criticism of the US policy towards Saudi Arabia is important because it comes amidst growing doubts in the US about the wisdom of President Barack Obama’s plan announced on Wednesday to look to the Gulf monarchs as crucial allies in the US campaign to contain and, if possible, push back Isis after its victories in Iraq and Syria during the summer.

Under the plan, Saudi Arabia is to host a special training facility for “moderate” Syrian opposition which is to fight both Isis and the government of President Bashar al-Assad. A problem is that Saudi Arabia dislikes Isis today, whatever its role in its creation, but it gives priority to regime change in Damascus.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Saudi Arabia has been one of America's strongest allies

in the war against military-contractor layoffs.

The good senator should show some more respect.

Regards,

TWM

[tk2kewl]

2. let's see the 28 pages already!

nt

[hootinholler]

3. If only we could link them to Bengazi

[librechik]

4. la la la don't listen to Bob Graham, who has been ON this for 13 years.

That direction leads to some 9/11 truth. And we can't have that sort of craziness in good people's discourse!

RUN AWAY RUN AWAY EEEEK TRUTH!

[johnnyreb]

5. 46 Democratic Senators once signed a letter to Bush demanding the 28 pages

I heard that in the September 9 2014 Capitol Hill Press Conference with the 9/11 families demanding the 28 pages. If true, What Happened? 12 years later and now House Republicans are leading this charge to declassify. And they are passionate. C'mon DU. That press conference is an amazing 50 minute video by the way, available at your local neighborhood youtube. Sorry not on cable-- cable news only has 24 hours in a day.

Check out this all the way back from the 2003 Congressional Record:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2003-10-28/html/CREC-2003-10-28-pt1-PgS13349-2.htm

The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To urge the President to release information regarding
sources of foreign support for the 9-11 hijackers)
(....)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, I commend my colleague, the
Senator from North Dakota ((ed: Dorgan)), for having offered this sense of the Senate.
(....)
There are two big questions yet to be answered. Why would this
government have provided the level of assistance--financial,
logistical, housing, support service--to some of the terrorists and not
to all of the terrorists? We asked that question. There has been no
response.
My own hypothesis--and I will describe it as that--is that in fact
similar assistance was being provided to all or at least most of the
terrorists. The difference is that we happened, because of a set of
circumstances which are contained in these 28 censored pages, to have
an unusual window on a few of the terrorists. We did not have a similar
window on others. Therefore, it will take more effort to determine if
they were, in fact, receiving that assistance. That effort has, in my
judgment, been grossly insufficiently pursued.
An even more serious question is what would lead us to believe that
if there was this infrastructure of a foreign government supporting
some of the 19 terrorists, that as soon as September 11 concluded, as
soon as the last flames were put out at the Pentagon, the World Trade
Center and on the field in Pennsylvania, all that infrastructure was
immediately taken down? Again, this is my hypothesis: I don't believe
it was taken down. I believe that infrastructure is likely to still be
in place assisting the next generation of terrorists who are in the
United States.
Those are very fundamental questions, and if the public had access to
these 28 pages, they would be demanding answers.
(....)
(....)
Mr. DORGAN. (....)
We ought not to have to come to the Senate floor to ask why the White
House, the FAA, or this or that agency has not already fully cooperated
with the 9/11 Commission. It is in this country's interest to see that
happen.
Mr. President, I ask for consideration of my amendment.
Mr. McCONNELL. Was consent requested, Mr. President? I am sorry, I
didn't hear.
Mr. DORGAN. I asked for consideration of my amendment. I ask
unanimous consent that we waive points of order and have my amendment
be considered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in accordance with the precedent of May
17, 2000, I raise a point of order that the amendment is not germane.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The point of order is sustained. The amendment
falls.