Rumsfeld calls report criticizing Saudi Arabia 'clearly harmful'

Associated Press | August 7, 2002

[HAL9000]

(Pentagon-AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it's "clearly harmful'' to make public a report criticizing Saudi Arabia.

Rumsfeld says the report doesn't reflect the views of the U-S government -- nor he adds -- even the Defense Policy Board.

He explains the report was prepared by the Rand Corporation and presented to a closed meeting of the defense group, which includes former government officials and experts.

The report claims the Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain. And it says the kingdom is America's "most dangerous opponent'' in the Mideast.

Rumsfeld says Saudi Arabia reflects a "broad spectrum of opinions.'' And he notes the kingdom is wrestling with a number of issues, including the fact that many of the September eleventh hijackers came from Saudi Arabia.

The defense secretary's harshest comments were aimed at those responsible for leaking the report. He says this probably came from someone who wanted to appear important.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) </blockquote

[HAL9000]

Rumsfeld probably has steam coming out of his ears over this leak. I hope he can find out who leaked it and mete out the appropriate punishment. And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again.

Speaking of the Rand Corporation, I participated in a telephone survey they were doing a few weeks ago. The final set of questions was - had I considered stocking up on Cipro lately?

[LarryM]

Why was the proposal idiotic? Rumsfeld was only mad because it was leaked. It may have been leaked deliberately to put the Saudis on notice.

[joesbucks]

Agreed.....If this report is factually correct, then what's the problem?

Also, this was not an internal government leak as there were policy makers both past and present on hand when it was handed out.

The problem this poses is that the cat is out of the bag and it may make it difficult for the administration to from a perceptual standpoint navigate with the Saudi's. Then again, with this becoming public information, it may make the Saudi's more proactive to clean up it's own house.

[teletech]

We need to find the messenger and kill him pronto, he speaks the truth and for that he shall die! May God bless the United States of America, and may God help the United States of America.

So I guess what Rummy is saying is we KNOW what the Saudis are but we can't talk about it??

[sharktrager]

Actually, I agree w/ Rummy, but for a different reason.

I believe the US and the Saudi's are playing the same game. Both are pretending to be friends and allies on the surface, but know that there ill be a time when they'll throw down. Right now both receive certain benefits from the farce.

Neither side wants their plan to be public, even if it is painfully obvious.

[philosofy123]

Rumsfeld is just fooling the media. On the surface, I guess the US supposed to be friend of Saudi Arabia. I think, after we got f##ed by the Saudis on 9/11, we need to invade that country, and make them pay for the economic damage that their petrodollars help finance and their hate helped create. Rumsfeld and anybody else who think that Saudi Arabia is our friend, must have his head examined!

[ffrancone]

And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again.

I am curious as to why you think a proposal citing the Saudi's as acting contrary to US interests on a wide range of terrorism related issues is 'idiotic.' Seems to me there is a lot of evidence supporting the report.

[PoorMuttly]

So it was leaked on purpose...or not. Cool.

My Dad used to advise me to deprive the enemy of what he wanted of you. Ours seem to want to have us figured out...mostly by reading our own media !

I guess that rat-hole is being plugged...or smoke being blown into it. Didn't I hear somebody mention smoking them out of their holes....their systems, methods, networks...

I hope we DO have an administration this formidable. In war, ya need that sort of thing.

[babygene]

I guess since the Rand Corporation is a corporation they can say or leak anything they want.

To me, it sounds right on target.

[HAL9000]

Why was the proposal idiotic?

Because Bush, Rumsfeld and the rest of the administration have been trying to emphasize, clearly and unambiguiously, that the War on Terrorism is not a war against Saudi Arabia, and we expect their cooperation.

The Saudi's paranoia level was raised sharply in their dealings with Madeline Albright. Bush is trying to get back to the status quo ante.

Unfortunately, a few low level politicians in the Pentagon and the RAND Corp. are trying to undermine his strategy, which would harm his credibility with the nations he is trying to influence. There could be severe consequences, internationally and domestically.

[gcruse]

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says it's
"clearly harmful'' to make public a report criticizing
Saudi Arabia.

Harmful in the same way the head of the Drug War
characterized Canada's move to lessen the penalties
for possessing marijuana.  "It may force us to
reexamine our position."   Dangerous, indeed.

[SerpentDove]

>>And the particular morons at the Rand Corporation who delivered this idiotic proposal should be banned from stepping foot in the Pentagon again. <<

I presume you have read the report?

[spqrzilla9]

"Strategy" ? Ignoring the fact that Saudi Arabia is in reality actively financing terrorism directed against the United States is not a "strategy".

[Mind-numbed Robot]

I was a real fan (pun intended) of Sally Rand, the founder.

[Thud]

Looks more like a means of distracting attention from the pending invasion of Iraq.

[Thud]

LarryM,

You said: "Why was the proposal idiotic? Rumsfeld was only mad because it was leaked. It may have been leaked deliberately to put the Saudis on notice."

It may have been leaked to serve other purposes too.

[TheBattman]

You know, sometimes the truth hurts!

[Thud]

The best disinformation comes in three flavors:

Untrue statements by people who sincerely believe it to be true;

True statements by people who sincerely think those are false;

True statements which create misleading impressions, or distract attention from subjects the perpetrator does not want the intended victims to look closely at.