Prince Bandar: Clinton Sought Secret Oil-Election Deal

Newsmax ^ | April 20, 2004 | Newsmax

[callisto]

Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan said Monday that ex-President Clinton sought a secret deal to keep oil prices low before the 2000 election, explaining that the request was nothing unusual.

"President Clinton asked us to keep the prices down in the year 2000," Bin Sultan told CNN's "Larry King Live," responding to a claim by Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward that the Bush administration made a similar request this year.

Bin Sultan said President Carter also made a request for lower oil prices to save his reelection bid in 1979, explaining that he did so "to avoid the [US's economic] malaise."

"We always want any president who is in office to be reelected," Bin Sultan explained, while stressing that his hope for lower oil prices was not a direct effort to influence the outcome of the U.S. election.

"This not our call. This is the American people's call," he insisted.

"We hoped that the oil prices will stay low, because that's good for America's economy, but more important, it's good for our economy and the international economy," Prince Bandar told CNN. "And this is nothing unusual."

On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry decried Bush's "secret deal" with the Saudis for low oil prices, based on a claim in Bob Woodward's new book, "Plan of Attack."

"If, as Bob Woodward reports, it is true that gas supplies and prices in America are tied to the American election, tied to a secret White House deal, that is outrageous and unacceptable," Kerry complained in Florida.

Sen. Kerry has yet to issue a similar denunciation of the secret oil price deals sought from the Saudis by Presidents Clinton and Carter.

[OXENinFLA]

Well well, what do we have here.

[AngieGOP]

Sounds like Woodward got his Presidents mixed up.

[Young Rhino]

Well, Carter and Clinton were doing it for the children. Bush was doing it for Dick Cheney's Halliburton. /sarcasm

[Arpege92]

Of course this information will not be made available to the public by the liberal media!!!!

[princess leah]

Yes, and nice of the Sauds to instead hike our oil up to peak levels during this Presidential election....

[Mr. Mojo]

Bin Sultan said President Carter also made a request for lower oil prices to save his reelection bid in 1979, explaining that he did so "to avoid the [US's economic] malaise."

lol......a little late for that Jimmah, don't you think? Stagflation, anyone?

[rhombus]

"If, as Bob Woodward reports, it is true that gas supplies and prices in America are tied to the American election, tied to a secret White House deal, that is outrageous and unacceptable," Kerry complained in Florida.

Now wasn't it Kerry who just a while back was saying that we should be putting "pressure" on OPEC to reduce the price of oil?

[lilylangtree]

Sounds like Woodward crying "Wolf". Another example of the demoncRAT hypocrisy. Sickening!

[Williams]

Kind of cute how the Saudis just admit to doing this stuff. That kind of honesty you can only get from a "Prince."

[Mr. Mojo]

Of course this information will not be made available to the public by the liberal media!!!!

Let's just hope FOX and talk radio runs with it.

[federal]

This had to have been said last night because E.D. Hill on Fox this morning was talking about this Prince Bandar statement.

[bolobaby]

And Clintoon also released millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve - at the expense of national security, mind you - about a month before the election just to drive oil prices down.

[Steven W.]

Now wasn't it Kerry who just a while back was saying that we should be putting "pressure" on OPEC to reduce the price of oil?

Yes but he was talking out the left side of his face then & yesterday he was using the right. You can tell the difference because the left side of his face is orange-brown color and the right side is more orangeish-red hue.

[areafiftyone]

Heard The Beast Hillary is going to be parking her broom on Larry King tonight. I bet you she is going to lie about this.

[bmwcyle]

Have we not learned that if the DEMS point the finger there is three are pointed back.

[McGruff]

Hey all you DUers that bought Clark's book and now Woodpecker's, I've got a talk radio network to sell you cheap.

[Steven W.]

This was said last night on "Is Larry King Alive" - Woodward and King were bashing Bandar so he called in & said "hey, there's nothing surprising here, the US wants to pay lower oil prices and wants a good economy and Saudi Arabia only does well when the US economy is good, so it's no surprise US presidents ask for lower oil prices, which Bush - and Clinton - both did"

[Argus]

Now wasn't it Kerry who just a while back was saying that we should be putting "pressure" on OPEC to reduce the price of oil?

The only reason liberals want lower oil prices is so they can jack them up again with taxes at the pump. After they get elected, of course.

[mabelkitty]

Doh!

Looks like Kerry stepped in it again.