Fantastic article that rebuts the media's attempted whitewash of this incredible story.
I am beyond shocked that neither the media nor either party is making an issue of this. As the article notes, despite being heavily redacted, the 28 pages make it clear that the Saudi government, largely through Bush confidant Prince Bandar, then the Saudi Ambassador, provided extensive support to at least two of the hijackers.
I disagree with the writer's suggested motivation. He thinks it was to gin up support for war on Iraq. I suggest it was more nuanced. The Saudi royal family was aware that osama bin ladin posed a dire threat to it. So they orchestrated an attack that was so traumatic that severe retaliation against osama was certain. Bandar must have known that the Bush family financial ties to Saudi Arabia would insulate the kingdom from retaliation. The real question is what did Bush and the geniuses around him know and when did they know it?
The author concludes with a sentiment I share:
"Now that we know the truth, what do we do about it?
To begin with, if any other government had connections to a terrorist attack on the US of this nature, their capital would’ve been a smoking ruin. I’m not suggesting we do that, but at the very least the Saudis must be made to pay a high price for their complicity, starting with a moratorium on all US aid and arms sales to the Kingdom. We imposed trade sanctions on Russia for far less. Cutting off the Saudis from the US banking system should put a crimp in their extensive international network of terror-financing and money-laundering. And I know it’s too much to expect a public statement from our President pointing out that a US “ally” aided and abetted those who murdered over 3,000 people on 9/11, but I can dream, can’t I?
The Saudis aren’t our allies: as the 28 pages make all too clear, they are our deadly enemies. And they ought to be treated as such."
