TNR - 28 Pages Show 9/11 Link to Saudi Royal Family

[RedSock]

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=express&s=ackermanjudis080103

An official who has read the report tells The New Republic that the support described in the report goes well beyond that: It involves connections between the hijacking plot and the very top levels of the Saudi royal family. "There's a lot more in the 28 pages than money. Everyone's chasing the charities," says this official. "They should be chasing direct links to high levels of the Saudi government. We're not talking about rogue elements. We're talking about a coordinated network that reaches right from the hijackers to multiple places in the Saudi government."

Also: "If the 28 pages were to be made public, I have no question that the entire relationship with Saudi Arabia would change overnight."

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We need those pages out there. Go Graham, keep the pressure on!!

[unbrand]

1. This looks a little too convenient...

Wait a second. Shrub seems too confident about this whole thing. Seems to me more likely that the administration will "reluctantly" open up pieces of the report (or allow them to be opened up) so that other people will run screaming "Let's attack Saudi Arabia!"

Shrub shrugs and says, "Hey Cheney, you think Halliburton would be interested in some BIG-ASS contracts in Saudi Arabia? Yeah? You think? Heh, heh, heh, snort."

Unbrand

[DagmarK]

4. Nah.......b/c then they would be blamed for knowing about it........

all along (since AT LEAST dec 2002.....before the war with iraq)...and that doesn't look too good for them.

I think they are trying to frame Pakistan -- with that newly released discovery that 9/11 funds have been traced to Pakistan..... to that guy who keeps getting killed, resurrecting, then getting caught alive...whatever his name is.

[unbrand]

5. I see your point about prior knowledge, but...

I was thinking about what Shrub said at the Rose Garden press conference a couple days ago. He mentioned that the 28 pages couldn't be declassified because there is an ongoing investigation that would be jeopardized. This implies to me that they are actively investigating Saudi Arabian links, or at least ShrubCo is willing to give that story to the public.

If they're willing to give that "current investigation" story to the public now, they're willing to stick with that story if/when the pages are declassified. I think they can spin it such that they would successfully deflect the "prior knowledge" bit. Ugly, and messy, and reprehensible, but hey, playing with pigs gets you dirty.

About the Pakistan bit, good point. I think they've tried to do this in the past, run it up the flagpole so to speak, but I don't think ShrubCo got much mileage out of it. They may be trying that one again.

[TurtleTower]

2. The conspiracy theory?

Does anyone think it's possible that Bush is so monstrous that the reason these documents are classified is because of the inevitable investigation and bad relations with Saudia that may uncover actual US government involvement or deliberate facilitation of the 9/11 attacks?

Similar to why there are still classified and "missing" documents from FRD's involvement with the attack on Pearl Harbor?

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/McCollum/index.html

http://www.likelystory.net/archives/000112.html

[unbrand]

6. In a word, yes.

One pattern with the BFEE (3 generations now) is that they are very good at establishing shady international business dealings in weapons, drugs, whathaveyou, then turning around later and demonizing the same people the BFEE did business with.

Examples: Saddam, Osama, Noriega, HItler. Those are just the ones off the top of my head.

And welcome to DU, TurtleTower! :toast:

[janx]

11. No, I wouldn't go that far. But Bush has some pretty strong

ties to the Saudis, and it does not surprise me that he doesn't want to talk about that right now.

[Pastiche423]

12. Most definitely

[DagmarK]

3. I wish that Graham would just compromise himself........

for the good of the country, and reveal everything he is sworn not to reveal. (I assume he had to swear not to reveal what is in the report).

He could be charged with a crime of some sort...or just kicked out of the Senate. I don't know.

But if I were in his shoes, and this information were as damning as he claims it is (but can't specify), I would do the time. Just like Susan McDougal. (not that these are similar things, but she stood on principle at great peril to herself).

I don't know.....how many senators are on the intelligence committee? Like 12? That means that 12 people outside of the white house administration know FOR SURE what this report says.

For their country, they should reveal it together. And let the courts decide if they have compromised NATIONAL SECURITY. In fact, I don't think it would compromise our national security and it would certainly obliterate the White House's crediblity every single time they claim, "we can't tell the people X because of national security."

*****and we all have to remember that we are looking at the PUBLIC VERSION of this report. There is an internal fully classified version of the report that I think is like 1500 pages or something. It's big. And the intelligence committee has read that too.

It just irks me that they are ALL playing this stupid game when lives have been lost........10s of 1000s of lives have been lost, not to mention the horror of the 9/11 tragedy. And they are playing their little governmental games. And Graham is playing the game as well. In light of the grave horrors associated with this, he should stop pussy-footing around with innuendo and just SPILL IT. I know his intentions are totally honorable.......but it just seems that our democracy and god knows how many LIVES are dependent on this info coming out in full view.......

[RedSock]

7. i agree

With the proper caveats at a press conference, they'd be looked on as heroes by most Americans -- maybe not right away, but pretty quick. No way the Junta could spin its way out if it.

[Barrett808]

8. The BFEE knew

And attacked Afghanistan, then Iraq, instead of the actual sponsors of international jihadi terror, who happen to be their longtime business partners.

[Festivito]

13. Afghanistan attacked for oil pipeline, will anyone care.

Perhaps they weren't ready to attack Saudi Arabia back then. Now the PNAC BFEE is ready to take out the Saudis, if it weren't for those lies some people noticed.

[paulthompson]

9. conquering Saudi Arabia

There's definitely a movement afoot to conquer Saudi Arabia, starting with the secret meeting of Pentagon advisors last year where they saw a presentation entitled "Taking the Saudi out of Arabia."

Here's what the Asia Times has to say today on this:

"Against this background, the US congressional report seems to be adding insult to Saudi Arabia's injury. Since September 11 that country has been a target of Washington hawks' proposals for regime change as part of a plan to reshape the entire Middle East. Regardless of his intention, Bush's refusal to declassify the mentioned chapter will only create grounds for future leveling of unverifiable charges against Saudi Arabia, which could prepare US public opinion for a future regime change under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Within this context, the refusal could serve as a first step toward "dealing" with an old US ally, which the hawks consider as a strategically important state with uncertain future stability. Saudi Arabia's refusal to let the United States use its bases in a major way in their war on Iraq has probably qualified it as an "emerging rogue state" that Washington can afford to alienate now that it has access to oil-rich Iraq."

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EH02Ak02.html

Note also this interview today with former CIA agent Robert Baer.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/08/01/baer/index.html

Baer sometimes says intelligent things, and in my opinion he's completely right about Saudi Arabia's support of terrorism and role in 9/11. But that doesn't mean that the US should invade Saudi Arabia and take over it's oil fields, unless we want WWIV for real. Yet that is exactly what the influential Baer and others are quietly advocating.

He doesn't mention it in the interview, but look at Time magazine's review of his latest book:

"According to Baer, the Saudis can do no right. Even when they sink a trillion dollars into U.S. banks, he sees only potential blackmail and warns of dire consequences if the money is ever withdrawn. Or when the Saudis help the U.S. by keeping a lid on oil prices, he labels the assistance nothing more than blood money. Baer argues, somewhat implausibly, that the monarchy's demise is imminent. In that event, he suggests - even more implausibly - that the U.S. seriously consider a military takeover of the oil fields."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030721-464436,00.html

The tentacles of the neo-cons reach many places. Clearly the mood of the US public needs to be turned against Saudi Arabia first, so Baer, the 28 classified pages and so on help stoke the fire. But that doesn't mean that what's in those 28 pages aren't true.

[unbrand]

10. Why Wolfie drools.

Great info. You're right, the BFEE/neo-con tentacles go far and wide.

I went to see Wolfowitz speak at an event just prior to the Iraq invasion, and to him, the most important thing about invading Iraq was the "strategic geopolitical advantages" it would give the US. You could just see him salivating. I honestly think the neo-cons are trying to take over the whole region for multiple reasons -- oil, keeping the Likudniks happy, control of oil supplies to other countries, contracts for Carlyle & Halliburton & Bechtel, keeping people afraid of the terra threat...

(edited for spelling and clarity)