Bush certifies Saudi Arabia as anti-terrorism ally --->>>

[Stephanie]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071019/wl_mideast_afp/usattackssaudi_071019172301

Bush certifies Saudi Arabia as anti-terrorism ally

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush certified Saudi Arabia as an anti-terrorism ally on Friday, weeks after a top US Treasury official sharply criticized the kingdom's record.

Bush's move came in a memorandum to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, required under US law to free up aid from Washington to Riyadh, that the White House released to reporters.

"I hereby certify that Saudi Arabia is cooperating with efforts to combat international terrorism and that the proposed assistance will help facilitate that effort," the president said.

***

"If I could somehow snap my fingers and cut off the funding from one country, it would be Saudi Arabia," {US Treasury undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Stuart} Levey told the television network one day after the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"When the evidence is clear that these individuals have funded terrorist organizations, and knowingly done so, then that should be prosecuted and treated as real terrorism because it is," Levey told ABC.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal dismissed the criticism, saying Levey's public rebuke was at odds with private praise from US officials.

[CottonBear]

1. Oh! The irony! n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Oh, the hypocrisy!

[Captain Hilts]

2. Did he see where the 9/11 guys came from? The 'foreigners' in Iraq? All Saudis!!!!! nt

[BridgeTheGap]

3. The photo says it all, doesn't it?

Blood and oil on those hands, no doubt.

[Richard Steele]

23. You know what they say:

[acmavm]

4. Until the next bunch skyjack some planes or set off a dirty bomb

or whatever and the Saudi rich and royals have to be whisked out of the country again.

Jeeze, this guy needs to pay heed to his 'fool me once won't get fooled again' drivel.

[EFerrari]

5. "What color is the sky in your world, Norm?"

lol

[mmonk]

7. The Bin Laden family agrees.

[blondeatlast]

8. Disgusting--and the media will give it nary a mention. They can attack children

and hardworking families like the gossipmongers on Britsay Lopez, but they can't make a peep of this utterly obvious pandering.

This administration is vile, just vile and the MSM is complicit.

[DemGa]

9. Notice shrub didn't go into much detail on Saudi "cooperation."....nt

[EVDebs]

10. Since 1973 the DoD has altered it's oil field seizure plans

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2078813&mesg_id=2078899

rather than speed up Amory Lovin's 'Ending The Oil Endgame' plan and speed the move to alternatives to petroleum

http://www.oilendgame.com

The hypocrisy knows no bounds.

[Hydra]

11. Sure, that makes it all better!

Ignore all the stuff they're doing...as always.

[liberal N proud]

12. So allies send their people to hijack airplanes and crash them into buildings?

All the while the wring every dollar from our pockets for their precious black gold.

Some friend they are.

[Bozita]

13. iirc, over half of the foreign fighters captured in Iraq are Saudis

[Stephanie]

15. And 15 of the 19 hijackers.

NYC to GWB: FU.

[Bozita]

17. and most of the $$$ funding the extremist Paki madrasses comes from Wahhabi Saudis.

The Saudis truly export extremism.

[ProSense]

14. Travel Warning: SAUDI ARABIA

Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Fri Oct 19 14:04:39 2007.

SAUDI ARABIA

June 14, 2007

This Travel Warning updates information on the security situation in Saudi Arabia and reminds U.S. citizens of recommended security precautions. It supersedes the Travel Warning issued December 19, 2006.

Due to concerns about the possibility of additional terrorist activity directed against American citizens and interests, the Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia. The United States Mission in Saudi Arabia remains an unaccompanied post as a result of continued security concerns. Non-emergency employees and all dependents of the U.S. Embassy Riyadh and Consulates General Jeddah and Dhahran were ordered to leave the country on April 15, 2004. An armed attack on the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah occurred on December 6, 2004, resulting in casualties among the non-American staff and damage to consulate facilities. On November 13, 2005, the Consulate General in Jeddah closed the visa section for security reasons that require the assistance of the Government of Saudi Arabia to resolve. On May 12, 2006 a lone gunman fired shots at the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah. There were no injuries. The consular section remains open for American citizen services.

Terrorist groups continue to target housing compounds and other establishments where Westerners may be located. Saudi Government facilities are also targets. In addition to car bombs and armed assaults involving multiple gunmen against such facilities, terrorists have used ambush attacks to kidnap and/or assassinate individual Westerners. In February 2007, four French residents of Saudi Arabia returning from Madain Saleh were killed in a shooting incident while resting on the side of the Tabruk-Medina highway, approximately 17 km north of Medina. In February 2006, there was a terrorist attack on Saudi oil facilities in Abqaiq in the Eastern Province. There were no U.S. citizens or Westerners injured in this attack.

American citizens who choose to visit or remain in Saudi Arabia despite this Travel Warning are strongly urged to avoid staying in hotels or housing compounds that do not apply stringent security measures including, but not limited to, the presence of an armed guard force, inspection of all vehicles, and a hardened security perimeter to prevent unauthorized vehicles from approaching the facility. American citizens are further advised to exercise caution and maintain good situational awareness when visiting commercial establishments frequented by Westerners or in primarily Western environments. Keep a low profile, varying times and routes for all required travel, and ensure that travel documents and visas are valid. American citizens are also advised to exercise caution while driving, entering or exiting vehicles.

U.S. citizens who travel to or remain in Saudi Arabia despite this Travel Warning are strongly urged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov , in order to be included in the Mission’s warden network. Updated travel and security information for Saudi Arabia is issued periodically via the warden network.

From time to time, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia may restrict the travel of official Americans or suspend public services for security reasons. In those instances, the Embassy and Consulates will keep the local American citizen community apprised through the Warden System and make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Warden messages can be found on the U.S. Embassy Riyadh website: http://riyadh.usembassy.gov .

Updated information on travel and security in Saudi Arabia may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 from within the U.S. or Canada or, from outside the U.S. or Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For additional information, consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Saudi Arabia, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, and Middle East and North Africa Public Announcement at http://travel.state.gov .

After all these years, why can't they do anything about the attacks on Americans inside Saudi Arabia?

[BrklynLib at work]

16. Remind me again..how many of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabi?

:crazy:

[robinlynne]

18. bullshit!

[Sufficient Voice]

19. Yeah weren't some of the hijackers not from there?

Thanks Jon S.

[lazyriver]

20. And tomorrow he'll nominate Blackwater for the next

Nobel Peace Prize.

Turkey didn't commit genocide and Saudi Arabia is certified as anti-terrorist. War is peace and day is night.

[Rambis]

21. Straw, camel, back , SNAP!

For fuck sake!

[SergeyDovlatov]

22. as well as the terrorist breeding grounds

[blondeatlast]

24. Kick. nt

[Glimmer of Hope]

25. Well they had nothing to do with 9.11. Right? Whatever happened to Bob Graham?

[spanone]

26. but on 9/11 weren't 15 of the......oh, nevermind

this is so fucked up it is not funny in any way shape or manner.

[Stephanie]

27. Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?