Posted on 06/22/2004 2:04:58 AM PDT by kattracks
Even if the Saudi royal family’s latest pledge to cut off direct terror financing can be taken at its word—a huge if, to be sure—one of the major revelations of the 9/11 commission’s interim report issued around the same time demonstrates (albeit indirectly) that it won’t make much difference.
Why? Because the 9/11 commission’s best estimate of the plot’s total cost is roughly $500,000 – 600,000, reaffirming something we’ve long known: terrorist acts are cheap.
What the House of Saud will never stop funding, though, is the creation of the environment that produces fertile fields for terrorist recruiters: the religious schools, mosques, and radical Islamic organizations that collectively constitute the infrastructure of terror.
Quite simply, it can’t. So it won’t—not now, not ever.
Given that Saudi Arabia is home to the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medinah, it is understood that any government must have religious sanction to justify its existence. Twenty-five years ago, that almost came crumbling down.
After the Saudi government lost control of the Grand Mosque in Meccah in 1979, it made a Faustian to win the support of the radical Wahhabi clerics within its borders by becoming their sugardaddies in exchange for them conferring legitimacy on the regime.
Which brings us to today. Many Saudi apologists have recently offered the following rationalization: The Saudis have to be taken at their word, because how could they continue to fund those who seek to destroy them?
Easily—they have no choice.
It is entirely possible that the Saudis have been spurred to some degree of substantive action in fighting al Qaeda and even in blocking direct terror financing.
But what they cannot—and will not—do is reduce funding to madrassas (religious schools), mosques, and radical Islamic organizations like World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) that glorify Jihad and “martyrdom.”
The indoctrination factory starts with small children, poisoning them before they can read, radicalizes them further with Wahhabi mosques that foment both anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, and gives their rage purpose with calls from groups like WAMY and IIRO to take up arms in the name of Islam.
Explains former Treasury Department official and terror financing expert David Aufhauser at a recent Congressional hearing, “What (Saudi-funded mosques and other Islamic institutions) taught was an unforgiving, intolerant, uncompromising and austere view of the faith that became kindling for Usama Bin Laden’s match.”
For proof, look at the recent survey of some 15,000 Saudis showing nearly half support Osama bin Laden’s “sermons and rhetoric.” Various Arab and Muslim commentators have attempted to spin this finding as almost inconsequential; after all, they reason, “it’s not as if they support his actions.”
When it comes to bin Laden, however, supporting his “sermons” is to support his actions. Actions are all he advocates: death to the Jews, death to Israel, death to the West, and death to America.
Bin Laden finds such a receptive audience among Saudis because they have been primed for it from their earliest educational experience.
And because of the pervasive influence of Saudi petrodollars, this is happening not just in the kingdom, but across the world.
Look at Palestinian children who are readied for death almost as soon as they are born. Suicide bombs the terror masters strap on these kids cost maybe $150. And the life of a young, brainwashed Palestinian is not even worth that to a Jihadist.
But buildings, textbooks, and teachers? That costs real money.
Throw in lump cash sums Saudis give to families of suicide bombers, and Saudi support for Palestinian terrorism—not even counting direct aid to terror groups—is literally cradle-to-grave.
Understanding that direct support is but a small piece of the terror financing puzzle, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) recently spearheaded a request, also signed by five of her colleagues, to the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the U.S. government’s progress in tracking—and halting—the funding of the infrastructure of terror.
What the GAO must do, though, is look inside the United States. Saudi cash has flooded Northern Virginia, Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, including Iowa.
Most frightful is what the GAO might find. How many American Muslims feel like Saudis who support bin Laden’s “sermons and rhetoric”?
Joel Mowbray (mail@joelmowbray.com) is the author of Dangerous Diplomacy: How the State Department Threatens America’s Security.
We need now more than ever to get the oil in Alaska set up to cut off the middle east from the American money chain.
Absolutely ridiculous unless you combine it with a program to find alternative sources of oil and alternative sources of energy (generally the costs of recovering the oil are more than the costs of the alternative energy).
Oil is a global commodity and the cheapest place to produce it is in Saudi Arabia. What's economically recoverable in Alaska is a pittance and at most will last a few years. But, it won't stop money from flowing into the coffers of the House of Saud because they will still have plenty of customers.
The only thing that will work would be to consciously make the decision use less oil (or we can wait until the market makes the switch for us). Which would actually give the Saudis a near monopoly on economicially vialble production, but also bankrupt the kingdom and cause the House of Saud to fall.
If the US and the rest of the world had alternative sources of oil and alternative sources of energy, the Sauds would go out with a whimper. Otherwise, they'll go out with a bang - sometime, not too long from now.
Saudi Financing.... During the recent 2001 fall election cycle for South Korea, Germany & France, all of whom "Ran against the USA/Bush" Campaigns the Saudi's pulled 80-120 Billion from the US Markets and injected most of that money into the German/French markets. This may have been in part to protect money from seizure by the Bush Administration as the War on Terrorism geared up and to also shore up "allies" in markets that would protect Saudi Intersts that may run counter to US Interests. My take is that our Interests are not always complimentary.
Around 90% of the Indians were killed, its time for muslims to get theirs!!!
Could you please tell that to Demoncrats?
This is what Bush tried to do and he was stopped by the Demoncrats.
Your reply:
Absolutely ridiculous unless you combine it with a program to find alternative sources of oil and alternative sources of energy (generally the costs of recovering the oil are more than the costs of the alternative energy).
Your reply is ignorant and ridiculous.
It is obvious that you know nothing about the oil deposits in Alaska, and are just mouthing the usual platitudes about oil drilling. Oil drilling in Alaska at Prudhoe Bay has been cost effective. It is only politics that has held back drilling the other deposits in Alaska.<P In addition, the reason why alternative energy sources have not come to market is because THEY are not cost-effective when compared with oil drilling.
Boy I just failed to find the numbers in your last post. Will search harder. Until then I guess you wear the dunce cap.
Sorry, but, your all wet.
Spoiled US consumers cannot kick the low oil price habit.
No politician will ever try to force them.
BUMP
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