Saudis Criticize Kerry for 'Bashing' Kingdom

[Khephra]

Filed at 4:27 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Friday criticized Democratic presidential challenger Sen. John Kerry for ``bashing'' the kingdom when he called on the United States to cut its dependence on the Middle East nation's oil.

``Saudi bashing is not an energy policy,'' an official with the Saudi Embassy in Washington said.

In his nomination acceptance speech Thursday night, Kerry said he wants America to use technology to become energy independent and end its reliance on Saudi oil.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-campaign-saudi-kerry.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Hey, Prince Bandar! Go Cheney yourself!

Hugs and kisses,

lib_vet

[bullimiami]

3. the saudis want Bush to win.

the same saudis that spawned osama and most of the suicide hijackers.
the samd saudis that had a telethon to raise money for a terrorist fundraiser.

surprise surprise....

[Cha]

11. Yeah! And they just showed their cards!

Good sign they're bashing Kerry, eh?

[Jawja]

53. Absolutely.

Nothing will get those "undecideds" and "swing voters" faster than Saudi Arabia weighing in on the Kerry bashing. By doing so, they are aligning themselves with * and that won't play well at all.

[study_war_no_more]

81. I woooped when he said that

I mean I got the biggest smile on my face wheeeeee. Saudis teach antiamericanism in there schools and then pretend to be our allies? Its about time someone started swinging. Go kerry!

[dflprincess]

2. Apparently there will be no

Bandar Kerry. I wonder if the Saudi Embassy will lose its Secret Service protection?

[Cha]

8. Apparently Not!

:)

[Gin]

52. funny dflpriness...that was a good one.,

g

[RetroLounge]

4. Fuck the Saudis.

15 Hijackers were Saudi. I don't remember an apology.

Maybe we bombed the wrong country...

RL

[NMDemDist2]

6. well they did try to buy off NY and Guilani

refused the cash remember?

[Jack Rabbit]

5. No, Saudi bushing is not an erergy policy

However, Saudi Arabia is a corporate state run by tyrants.

[Cha]

7. In the words of our esteemed vp(sic) Go Fuck yourselves!

If we worked on alternative energy ..we wouldn't need your fucking oil.

[Cocoa]

9. poor Saudi Arabia

I haven't felt this sorry for a persecuted party since Halliburton complained about their bad rap. :cry:

[quaoar]

10. I guess this means

We've lost the pampered, decadent, rich foreigner vote.

How many electoral votes does Saudi Arabia have?
None?

Fuck em.

[Cha]

12. Whereas the Muslims in our Country are for Kerry!

Hell No, they don't want bush again.

[Rockholm]

51. Excellent Post!!!!

[truth2power]

The Saudis can shut the hell up...

they don't run this country!

Oh, wait........

[Tosca]

13. To the Saudi elite

Go fuck yourselves, you corrupt, sexist, fascist bastards who do not add anything to the world, culturally or politically, if it wasn't for your oil and our sick dependence on it.

[Citizen Daryl]

14. Think Bush and the Saudis have a plan to fuck Kerry?

I could see it happen. Cut production way down if Kerry's elected, send gas prices to $4-$5 per gallon.

[Coventina]

33. Let 'em TRY!!!!

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fovea]

40. Your supposition suggests you don't think

that prices won't be $5/gal *after* Bush is either a dictator or a lame duck, or both. I suggest that even the Saudis cannot make the price substantially lower anymore. They simply lack the capacity to pump that much. The only way the price can be manipulated is up, unless it is via direct government subsidies. That would send the dollar straight through the floor, so I find that unlikely.


But fortunately, only greedy self centered oligarchs would have any reason to artificially spike the price. That, or 'insurgents' in Iraq who hate us for our cheap gas.

No, oil will not be a help to * this year, or any year in the future.

[Norquist Nemesis]

83. Yes. Sending their military to Iraq...

they should be ready right around the middle of October.

[liberalmuse]

15. To hell with the Saudi Royals...

They already own many of our politicians and most of D.C., what the hell else do they want? They're most corrupt ruling family on the planet. They despicably abuse their own people. Kerry better get in the Presidency. When he does, we need to make sure he starts implementing a new energy policy right away, because these fuckers are going down real soon, and if we're still oil dependant, we are going to be so totally fucked.

[UTUSN]

16. Hey, Prince BANDAR-BUSH, Can I Have a *-*??????/

[Dr Fate]

17. How un-American of him to criticise royalty....

...the Founding Fathers would be ashamed...NOT...

[jdj]

18. "Saudi-bashing is not an energy policy"

Does that sound Rovian or what?

[Khephra]

19. Maybe Rove is actually Saudi?

That would explain way too much. (Yes, I know it's not true)

[iconoclastic cat]

36. He wouldn't be the first Repub to be loaned for their use.

[lapfog_1]

35. And I would submit that Saudi bashing IS an energy policy

Saying we do not wish to be dependant on imported oil implies
many, many things. Yes, there are a set of choices that need to
be made but the BIG choice is get off America's biggest drug
addiction, OIL. After we enter rehab, we can start thinking of
healthy choices for our futures. But first we have to make the
commitment to kick the habit.

Bandar Bush is just another pusher hanging out on the corner,
pushing the family product, and almost every mother one of us
has a $100 a month habit.

[tabasco]

20. 15 out of 19 terrorists agree ...

BUSH IS DA MAN !

[bemildred]

21. This will backfire.

The Prince should butt the Cheney out of the US election,
it he knows what is good for him.

[geek tragedy]

22. Bwaaaaaahhhhhaaaaa!

Say it loud, Saudis. The more the Saudis bitch about Kerry, the more American patriots will respond.

Fuck those medieval bastards.

[devilgrrl]

23. This is going to sound awful but...

if * was bombing the f*** out of Saudi Arabia I'd be backing him. It frightens me to think such a thought but I hate the Saudi's and from what I hear from muslims from countries other than Saudi Arabia - they can't stand them either!

Hey Saudi Arabia! The world hates you as much as they hate us!

[Sterling]

26. Well that is part of the problem.

Instead of bombing SA Bush is helping them bomb us.

[JohnLocke]

68. I totally agree.

100%. Thanks.

[zuzu98]

24. reading "House of Bush/House of Saud" now

If you haven't read it, get your hands on a copy. It's worse than anyone ever thought...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

28. I got it!

zuzu as in my favorite tinfoiler's wife? (RB HAM?)

[Sterling]

25. I hope Kerry invades SA.

I fully support a war against SA. They are one of the real bad guys. Invade SA and put Bush in jail and we have made a little progress towards getting justice for 9-11.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

27. I don't. Those people became as militant as they did toward us

after years of oppression via the corrupt Saudi Royal family..if you recall in the days following 9/11 that sleazeball Bandar had the nerve to justify STEALING 50 billion from his nation claiming he made their oil deals possible and that it was the cost of doing business..he and HIS family CREATED the mess with fundamentalist Muslims as a means of paying them off to continue to suppress them, deny them ANY say in their government and THAT family GENERATED the hatred felt toward us with their oppression...if we're gonna bomb...let's do it like we did Khaddaffi....one household should clean up the mess just fine....certainly those high tech weapons should have no problem hitting a great big palace.

[doctorbombeigh]

31. Another war? Umm... no thanks.

My interest in terrorists extends to finding and stopping actual terrorists. Invading countries doesn't do a thing. Given time, the Saudi people (whom the House of Saud treat abominably) will eventually make their displeasure known.

Invading a hostile Arab country doesn't work out so well for us lately, you know?

[noahmijo]

42. I gotta agree with the no war on saudi types but

In my fantasies I completely agree with you I would LOVE to see these scumbags toppled and hung they ARE the true bad guys, however attacking the site of mecca with how many billion muslims now in the world? 1.8 billion? especially with our forces so spread thin, the rest of the world already hates us...it would lead to countless deaths and ultimately could be the big war that we would lose and this would be one of those wars where when you lose it you lose your country as well.

I say instead cut the fuckers off first chance we get never do business with them and always keep an eye on them and never let them forget that their asses are being watched and eventually lead the world in following suit. Then the finale would be their power is gone, their people are free, and a world coalition led by US initiates the first of trials in which they are all hung one by one nuremburg style.

[Guaranteed]

44. Yup....that IIIIS the key...

The money.

Alternative energy. Night night Saudi royals.

[KittyWampus]

29. Saudis Are Too Stupid To Realise After Their Oils Gone

Junior and his WASP Cosa Nostra will drop them like a middle aged man drops that teenage girl he impregnated.

[Spiffarino]

59. Oh, wow. Beautiful analogy.

n/t

[Sterling]

75. Thats a long ways off though

They dont call it PNAC for nothing.

[enki23]

30. rofl. far be it from us, in 2004, to bash A FUCKING MONARCHY

i thought were were supposed to be into spreading democracy? the saudi royals are one of the largest obstacles to that in the entire middle east.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

32. They don't like it? Too damn bad.

[truebrit71]

34. Fuck the Saudis..and their damned "kingdom"

If they were sitting on top of 20% of the world's total Tomato Ketchup reserves we wouldn't even give them the time of day...

Go take a flying fuck at the moon...

[Walt Starr]

37. Col, the Left now must hammer home the FACT that 15 of 19

terrorists that made the 9/11 attack were SAUDIS!!!

[devilgrrl]

38. Another great book about the House of Saud.

The Rise, Corruption and Coming Fall of the House of Saud
by Said K. Aburish

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0312161190.01._PE_PIdp-schmooS,TopRight,7,-26_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312161190/qid=1091250168/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-4833102-1408700

From Publishers Weekly

Saudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer, is also the world's most absolute feudal monarchy and the place where the gap between the haves and have-nots is the widest. Journalist Aburish (Pay-Off: Wheeling and Dealing in the Arab World) takes a close look at the 90-year-old dynasty, emphasizing recent history and the House of Saud's dictatorial, profligate and increasingly corrupt ways, aided in the last instance by U.S. oil companies. He compares the present situation in Saudi Arabia with Iran before the overthrow of the Shah in 1979?"blind, oblivious haughtiness by a hated ruling class." With a national debt approaching $100 billion, the country's financial structure is on the verge of collapse. The West, says the author, must take immediate drastic action before a revolution results in a cessation of oil production, worldwide depression and the possibility of a jihad, or holy war, against the infidel West if, for instance, UN forces tried to occupy the oil fields. Aburish urges a complete reversal of U.S. policy, with Washington pressuring the House of Saud to share the national wealth with the Saudi people, to begin protecting their human rights and to give them a voice in the country's affairs. A well-researched and provocative expose/denunciation of Arabia's powerful ruling clan. Photos.

[Fovea]

39. That was a bash?

Damn, are those boyz thin skinned. I hope their delicate sensibilities survive the rest of the campaign.

[noahmijo]

41. Fuck you and ya kingdom scumbags

Saudi bashing is not an energy policy but it's a great fuckin hobby if ya ask me!

You want bowing I got yer bowing for ya here ::gives the Bronx salute:::

[Guaranteed]

43. EXCELLENT! Put the Saudis on BUSH'S side...

That is fucking AWESOME. We've already won that round.

[noahmijo]

45. OHHH You know what would be the best????

If they demanded an apology from Kerry and he stepped forward and said

"In the words of my beautiful loving wife....SHOVE IT"

[blitzen]

46. Read Abdelrahman Munif's trilogy, "Cities of Salt"

Munif is one of the greatest contemporary Arab novelists (died last year, I think...He was the Iraqi Oil Minister in the 60s). His Trilogy treats the transformation of Saudi Arabi since the early 20th cent. Beautiful novels which expose the tremendously corrupt alliance between US Oil companies and Saudi rulers.....You can only say, after reading them: Cheney%$#*@ You! Saudis and Standard Oil of California!

[umtalal]

62. You recognize Munif? I am impressed!

I am a Saudi and I am working on a translation project for secular Saudi Arab writers. Believe it or not there was secular dissent in that country, way before Osama and his bin laden shit family was in the picture. But we all know in Saudi Arabia it is not an honor to have money because we all know what was done and selling of one's soul to have that money.

[glitch]

72. Welcome to DU!

Please note the people on this thread are talking about the Saudi royal family and not the people of Saudi Arabia.

[umtalal]

73. Hey, it was 15 of us that did the murder.

I am sorry. The truth hurts.

And thank you for the welcome.

[Tight_rope]

47. Fuck the Saudi's....

[saigon68]

48. ITS A FUCKED-UP PLACE

that's for sure

[Disturbed]

50. The USA and OIl

Until there are viable alternatives to oil the US is in a bind. There won't be alternatives for at least 10-15 years. In the meantime the US must deal with those that have oil. There are no easy or simple ways to do this. The Saudis would be better off if they were rid of the Royal Tyrants but would they opt for a Democracy or semblance of it? It doesn't seem so in my view. Most of them would opt for a Muslim Theocracy. Would they be friendly sell their oil at reasonable prices to the US?

[Zech Marquis]

49. Bite me Bandar!

This is the United States of America, NOT the United States of Faud :grr: so take a header into one of your giant oil tankers and Cheney yourself! :evilgrin:

[barbaraann]

54. S.A. is not a kingdom; it is a totalitarian theocracy.

And when a man has more than one "wife" the women are concubines, not partners in a loving relationship.

[JohnLocke]

69. Totalitarian, terrorist-supporting, theocracy.

[happynewyear]

55. the Saudis can kiss my ass

Not that they'd care to. F U C K them!!! They are the ones whose citizens were on the planes that crashed into the Twin Towers! They are the ones that are terrorizing our country with their Prince Bandahar in the White House with * smoking cigars and scheming on ho to make MORE money off of the American people!!! :grr:

They are the ones that are responsible for the huge rise in oil prices! They are the ones that are lining their already heavily dollar lined pockets with more of the American people's money while it is the American people that end up going to Iraq and fighting there while they sit on their royal butts doing not a damn thing but complaining because they don't like what Kerry said! Kerry is absolutely right!

NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL!

GO CHENEY YOURSELVES SAUDI ARABIA!

:grr:

[rfkrocks]

56. this poison from a country that stoned women to death for adultery

that spread its vile evil around the globe-Cheney themselves

[LiberalBushFan]

57. Some had me convinced Kerry would never mention Saudis.

He's braver than he's made out to be on this site. Braver than Nader would ever be if he actually had a shot at winning.

[Spiffarino]

58. I was born in Saudi Arabia (of Anglo-American parents)

And I second the "fuck 'em" sentiment as I believe the folks in this thread are speaking of the royals and not of the people of Saudi Arabia. There is a tremendous difference between them.

My parents and older siblings told me stories of repression, starvation, and harsh punishments that would make you cry. My sister and brother saw Saudis cooking house cats, rats, anything to subsist on, while the Saudi royal family was buying yachts and Cadillacs.

Never forget: The royal family and the Wahhabi sect are inextricably linked with the oppression of the people of Saudi Arabia. And to say that the royals had nothing to do with 9/11 is profoundly ignorant. They may not have been involved in the planning and execution of the catastrophe, but they are entirely culpable for creating the environment in which it took place.

Fuck 'em, indeed.

[Rose Siding]

64. I read a poll this week that had the US at 4% approval in SA

down from 11% in May but it didn't note Saudi approval for the royals. Wonder how that would read.

I don't see how they are keeping any American workers there anymore with all the animosity.

[theHandpuppet]

60. You mean the same "kingdom"...

... without the least modicum of democracy, the one that oppresses women and publicly beheads its citizens as official execution policy? The home of the real 911 terrorists?

Tell me why I should care what the Saudi royal family thinks!

[JayS]

80. "why I should care what the Saudi royal family thinks"

Oil, sadly.

[bobthedrummer]

61. FUCK THE HOUSE OF SAUD!

:nuke:

[lakeguy]

63. screw the terrorist funding saudi bastards!

[ItsMyParty]

65. Remember: the Lord's prayer says

"Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done"-----maybe Bush, Cheney and the rest of the regime thinks that means the Kingdom of Saud. At least they behave that way................(the Christian Right--Altering the Bible for your reading convenience).

[gulliver]

66. Silence from the Bush camp too...

I don't hear any Bushies defending the Saudis. I also don't hear the Bushies joining in the criticism of the Saudis... Just crickets chirping from the Republicans... That speaks volumes.

John Kerry is cool!

[soggy]

67. well, if they really feel that way...

maybe they should cast their vote for bush. oh, wait...

cry me a fucking river

[kodi]

70. screw 'em. if they want our friendship they should shut down the madrassas

those oh so special schools that teach religous fanaticism and saudi youth to hate americans.

[mark wayne]

71. DUH?

And we expected to be embraced with open arms?

[devinsgram]

74. Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Are their feelngs hurt. GOOD! It's about time somebody steps up to the plate and tells them the way it is. Poor, poor babies.

[amandabeech]

76. I don't like the Saudi system anymore than anyone else here.

But they sit on a lot of oil, even if it is less oil than the Saudis will admit.

Our system will completely fall apart without transportation, and oil products are just phenomenally suited for transportation. Gasoline and diesel, as relatively stable liquids, are easy to transport, and provide a tremendous amount of energy for their weight or volume.

Right now, we are being sold hydrogen as a substitute for oil in transportation. But hydrogen cannot be mined or pumped. It must be split from another element with which it has form a chemical bond, as in water, methane or biomass. Splitting that hydrogen off takes incredible amounts of energy--to the point that it can be difficult to get as much energy out of putting the hydrogen through a fuel cell as it took to split the hydrogen off in the first place. Most hydrogen today is made from methane (natural gas), but that is in increasingly short supply here, must be brought in incredibly energy inefficient and hazardous ships, and will itself run out quickly if everyone uses it as a gasoline and diesel substitute, along with heating buildings, powering industrial processes and generating increasing amounts of our electricity.

And all of that is without starting on the difficulties and energy inefficiencies of handling and transporting hydrogen.

An earlier poster on this thread stated that a substitute for hydrogen will be available within 10 to 15 years. If he or she is thinking about hydrogen, I'd think again.

Biodiesel and ethanol also have problems with energy effectiveness because of all the diesel and natural gas that goes into farming the oil seed or biomass. Switch grass may turn out to be the best of the lot, but I suspect that we'd have to devote more land than we can spare from food production to replace even a quarter of the gasoline and diesel that we now use.

All of this is to say that I believe that it is premature to demonize the leadership in any oil producing nation, including the Saudis and the Iranians. We are going to need a considerable amount of oil for some time while we develop a truly workable system of transportation based on something other than oil, and I believe that day to be a ways away. I feel badly for the Saudis, but I think that we must be careful and work behind the scenes without jeopardizing our own survival.

[JayS]

77. Yup, that was a startling statement in his speech and one that...

...I felt was entirely unnecessary. Unless I am mistaken, we have no replacement for oil ready to go online at a moment's notice so we do rely on the Saudis nor are we doing anything to improve our standing in the area with statements like these.

[AspenRose]

78. Sharif don't like it...Kerry rockin' the casbah

Every time I read about the Saudi Royal Family my blood pressure goes up.

[goforit]

79. So let Saudi Arabia go down with Bush............

Only Bush would allow Arabian voices to interfere with
The US election!!!

Bush is the most unpatriotic treasonous traitor this country
has ever known!!!
OOOPs next to Cheney and Ashcroft!!!

[Carolab]

82. But what about the "dollar-euro" war???

The real reasons Bush went to war

WMD was the rationale for invading Iraq. But what was really driving the US were fears over oil and the future of the dollar

John Chapman
Wednesday July 28, 2004
The Guardian

There were only two credible reasons for invading Iraq: control over oil and preservation of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Yet the government has kept silent on these factors, instead treating us to the intriguing distractions of the Hutton and Butler reports.
Butler's overall finding of a "group think" failure was pure charity. Absurdities like the 45-minute claim were adopted by high-level officials and ministers because those concerned recognised the substantial reason for war - oil. WMD provided only the bureaucratic argument: the real reason was that Iraq was swimming in oil.

Some may still believe the eve-of-war contention by Donald Rumsfeld that "We won't take forces and go around the world and try to take other people's oil ... That's not how democracies operate." Maybe others will go along with Blair's post-war contention: "There is no way whatsoever, if oil were the issue, that it would not have been infinitely easier to cut a deal with Saddam."

(full article)http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1270414,00.html