Saudi Prince Threatens Payback for Giuliani Snub (posted 10/12/01)

newsmax ^ | Oct. 12, 2001 | newsmax

[callisto]

Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal suggested Friday that he'll make New York pay a price for Mayor Rudy Giuliani's refusal to accept his $10 million dollar check for the Twin Tower relief fund, saying he's ready to "put his money where is mouth is."

The Saudi prince contributed the big bucks after Giuliani gave him a tour of the World Trade Center disaster site Thursday. Bin Talal said at the time, "Saudi Arabia is with the United States wholeheartedly."

But hours later the wealthy Arab released a statement saying:

"I believe the the government of the United States should reexamine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance towards the Palestinian cause. Our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of the Israelis while the rest of the world turns the other cheek."

Upon hearing about the bin Talal's press release, Giuliani condemned the statement as "highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous." Hizzoner's aides returned the Saudi's money after determining that his check had not yet been cashed.

The mayor's snub prompted the Saudi prince to leave in a huff for home, where he spoke to NBC's Andrea Mitchell.

"He's not backing down," Mitchell told radioman Don Imus Friday morning. "He says he has a big stake in New York (and) he puts his money where his mouth is."

Bin Talal's financial stake in the Big Apple includes a $10 billion investment in banking giant Citicorp, half ownership of the Plaza Hotel, substantial investments in the Saks Fifth Avenue department store and NewsCorp., the parent company of the New York Post and the Fox News Channel.

He also has part of his $20 billion personal fortune invested in AOL Time Warner, Apple Computer.

[Scholastic]

Go Rudy!

[Cyber Liberty]

Memo to the "prince": This is the wrong time to be making threats against the US in general, and New York in particular.

[Bikers4Bush]

Nice to see that all of the terrorists are truly coming out of the woodwork.

I think the Saudi's have forgotten who it is that made them wealthy.

It sure as heck wasn't their arab brothers.

[nevergore]

Identify his funds as terrorist supporting and then nationalize them....He will then be the former billionaire Prince from Saudi Arabia.....

Payback is a B*tch....Remember how they nationalized OUR oil fields without compensation!

NeverGore

[sinkspur]

Well, Binny, keep your politics out of your investments and you might get treated better.

Reminds me of another wealthy clown (Ted Turner) who thinks his money gives his mouth more prominence than it deserves.

[DainBramage]

He can roll his money up into a big ball and shove it up his royal heinous.

[putupon]

Snub him again whwn he needs new carburators for the F-16's we sold him!

[twntaipan]

The arrogant Saudis should all pack up--I like the idea of declaring their assets to be frozen (as part of the terrorist financial support network). I am sick of these turds coming to our shores and then defending the attacks on WTC (the Allah apologists on FR can flame away).

[KeepTheEdge]

I believe the 'Prince', (Why is he even a Prince? Because of crude oil reserves?), has it all mixed up.

The only thing the USA needs to re-examine is our relationship with even oil-rich regimes, that possibly help UAE passported thugs fly planes into our buildings.

[Aquinasfan]

Hey Alwaleed bin "Skyhook" Talal,

Two words: breeder reactors.

[jraven]

Rudy's action definitely lifts him above any other figure in american life (except Bush -- what a GREAT press conference!). The guy has shown such grit and great instincts for doing the right thing in a moment's notice that I certainly hope there's BIG political life for him after he leaves the mayor's post. I don't see ANY of the clowns running for mayor now filling Rudy's socks, let alone his shoes!

[EdZep]

This reminds me of hitchhikers who flip you off when you don't pick them up. Your judgement is proved correct that they're not the type of people you want to associate with in the first place.

Socialists in Congress? Click on the zeppelin, Grasshopper.

[BushWonGore'sDone]

Man with all those billions invested you'd think he would given a little more than 10 mill. I'm with you Rudy.

[Bommer]

HEY PRINCE TABLECLOTH HEAD!

REMEMBER: You only exist because WE ALLOW YOU TO EXIST!

[eureka!]

Memo to W: This punk is with "them". Freeze his assets. That'll teach him...

[TheOtherOne]

Wow, RUDY STEPS UP!!!!

[culpeper]

I'd like to see him sell out of his U.S. investments, but he won't, he needs the U.S. capital markets to park his petrol dollars. Just another terrorist sympathizing dirtbag. LETS START DRILLING IN ALASKA NOW AND BEGIN DEPORTATIONS NOW!!!!!!

[eFudd]

he puts his money where his mouth is."

Why would he put his money on the posterior of the Talaban?

[blam]

Topple the house of SAUD! Screw those SOB'S!

[RooRoobird14]

He can take his lousy money and SHOVE IT where the sun don't shine.

Kiss off, Sheik Huffy Puffy Clymer!!!

[johnandrhonda]

Yep, return his check, then freeze his assets in the USA.

[CheneyChick]

These buzzards are so used to getting their way by buying people off with their filthy money. Go Rudy!

[Diogenesis]

"Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal suggested Friday that he'll make New York pay a price.."

We helped his family?

Perhaps we should obey him and drop our true allies. { /sarcasm}

[InvisibleChurch]

after eight years of shoveling dough to xlinton, i'm sure he's utterly confused by Americans because of this...xlinton's legacy just keeps a'rollin' along

[finnman69]

These dummies should not antagonize the US. Saudi Arabia has what, 20 years of oil left? Then we will see who needs who more. Saudi Arabia is actually in MAJOR debt because the ruling royal family has pissed away the oil money.

[Terry Kent]

TAKE THIS GIFT AND...!
New York was given ten million by a Saudi Prince.
BUT, then he made some not-so-subtle outrageous hints:
Maybe this would not have come to pass
if you’d helped the PLO’s Hamass.
When Rudy heard that, he said KEEP your bloody pittance!

[mewzilla]

Make our day.

[anapikoros]

Anyone know just how big a stake he has in Newscorp(Fox News and Sky News)) and AOL/Time/Warner (CNN)- how much influence does he have?

I thought the Jews owned all the media (/sarcasm).

Someone should remind him of the $50 billion a year it costs the USA to keep the 5th fleet protecting his sorry a$$ from Saddam and/or the Iranians.

[TKEman]

I personally would've taken the money, and condemned his statements.

[usconservative]

Identify his funds as terrorist supporting and then nationalize them....He will then be the former billionaire Prince from Saudi Arabia.....

Damn' straight. The veiled threat "he'll make Guiliani pay" can mean more than one thing.

Yes, the terrorists are all crawling out of the woodwork now, but remember: not all of them are Muslim. Some of them live right here in our own back-yard, and call themselves LIBERALS.

[Quilla]

He can take his lousy money and SHOVE IT where the sun don't shine.

Funny you should say that. Last night while watching Fox News, the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen had a similar comment. Something like - New York tells Saudi Prince where he can put check.

[Precisian]

This was the single finest act Rudy has ever done.

Let this "Prince" do whatever dictatorial, royal-ass Princes do when they are confronted by Republicans in USA.

GO RUDY.

We fought a War of Independence against this high-and-mighty attitude of the British. It is just as offensive (more?) when it is from a Saudi Arabian, who lives in a country that has a law: If you wear a crucifix or a Star of David, you are a criminal!

[mewzilla]

Yup, we saw (and enjoyed) that crawl, too. I love FOX.

[Inyokern]

He said what?

[WatchOutForSnakes]

I agree with the sentiment of most of the posts on this thread regarding the Saudis. Unfortunately, even after yesterdays statements, President Bush and Colin Powell are still saying they are happy with Saudi Arabias cooperation. I was disappointed to hear Bush say that in his press conference last night. As much as I would love for us to freeze Saudi assets in this country it doesn't look like it is going to happen. Our only hope is that Bush is getting what he can get out of the Saudis for now concerning Afghanistan and then he will turn his attention to those who didn't help.

[snorkeler]

how hillary of you....

[hellinahandcart]

I thought the Jews owned all the media (/sarcasm).

Now, now, dear. You know very well it doesn't matter who actually OWNS the media, since the Illuminati control all of it as they control everything else.

Or is that David Rockefeller who controls all of it?

Or is one the same as the other? Sorry, I'm a bit confused today.

[Drew68]

after eight years of shoveling dough to xlinton, i'm sure he's utterly confused by Americans because of this...xlinton's legacy just keeps a'rollin' along

Think about how confused Hitlery must be with this. To her, the concept of turning down blood money from America's enemies is about as alien a practice as honesty and integrity. That witch wouldn't turn down a nickel from a crippled orphan. I only hoped Rudy returned the check after Hildebeast fawned all over the Saudi for his "generosity."

[bvw]

I agree. Under the duty of Marque and Reprisal we should take Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE. Take the whole Arabian Pennisula, all of its sand, oil, money and peoples. Put the newly-paupered Prince himself out on the golf courses of our new Arabian war-prize as a greens watcher. As the Prince surely knows, a typical greens-watcher on the desert course stays there and rakes up after the golfers. In up to 115 degree temps. At 115 degrees they get to take a break in the shade. Let the Prince get to know how he treated his "servants".

[slimer]

Take your damned money and invest it in camel futures cause you're going to need them in the future.

[Jim Noble]

>>I think the Saudi's have forgotten who it is that made them wealthy<<

And we were foolish to do so.

It is essential, IMHO, to disconnect our well-being from control of the Arabian peninsula.

If we start building fast breeders tomorrow, we can tell Saudi goodbye in three years.

Let's roll!

[Hildy]

Can you picture Mark Green doing this? Actually, can you picture Mark Green doing anything??

[12B]

If I did the math right he's got about 5% of Citicorp. Pretty good chunk of change if he decided to aggressively sell it. OTOH I'm sure we have some patriotic fundmanagers who'd be willing to pick up the stock cheap and in good size.

[ladyinred]

Re: Drilling in Alaska:

The Usurper Senate Majority leader won't allow the bill to be brought forward.

[snorkeler]

I'm sorry I can't offer attribution, but I heard someone... maybe SecDef say it is much easier to get assistance in the middle east if the assistance is not enumerated.

The Saud don't like OBL...they were the first to kick him to the curb. BUT....they cannot be seen as sucking up to Uncle Sam for internal reasons. We may never know how much help they have beem in this effort.

[sargon]

With all due respect, this prince was speaking about the realities of life in Palestine, and some of the sentiment of the citizens of his home country. Without rhetoric like this, which is essentially for the appeasement of the domestic population in Saudi Arabia, many "stable" Muslim regimes (such as the House of Saud) could be threatened. This prince was simply covering his ass. It's a different world over there.

We already see what is happening in Pakistan due to that government's somewhat harsher rhetoric.

Instability in regimes which have historically good relations with the U.S., such as Saudi Arabia, could cause this situation to escalate even more dangerously.

I think it would be a good idea for Rudy and the prince to mend their differences, to the point that the $10 million donation is accepted. Rejection of that donation could turn out to be a dangerous political event, IMHO.

We must all try to perceive things from alternative viewpoints, not just with tunnel vision.

After all, the goal here is to break the generational cycle of terrorism. If every hostile (to the point of endorsing terrorism) Islamic extremist was killed, that would not solve the problem. New recruits and sympathizers would simply fill the void.

We must use all tools at our disposal, military, political, religious, diplomatic, to fight and win this war. We won't do it by being reactionarily dismissive of the comments and observations of foreign leaders and allies...