Bush-Saudi Ties: The Billion Dollar Question

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert160.shtml

NEW YORK, March 22, 2004 -- With the media, timing is everything," says Craig Unger, whose book "House of Bush, House of Saud" is just out. "And now is the time to get to bottom of the events leading to 9-11." snip

"Without the Saudis, there is no 9-11," he says. "That's the ugly truth. When we delve into it, we begin unraveling a thread that is central to American political culture."

Questions raised in Unger's book have never been asked in a White House press conference -- but should be.

Questions like: Why did the Bush Administration authorize the airlift of 140 Saudis out of the United States immediately after 9-11, when airspace was so restricted that, as recounted in the book's dramatic opening, a plane carrying a heart transplant for a desperately ill man was forced from the air?

Those flown out included 24 members of Osama bin Laden's family -- and one Saudi prince with reported links to Al Qaeda.

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The Sauds and the Bushes

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/8235572.htm

Journalist explores whether ruling families are too close for comfort

By J.R. Labbe

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


With a spate of books critical of the current administration arriving in stores in the months leading up to the presidential election, Craig Unger's House of Bush, House of Saud runs the risk of being dismissed by George W. Bush supporters as one more example of ideological spleen-venting. snip

Much of the information Unger has amassed from a variety of sources and personal interviews is not new. Take, for example, information about 140 Saudis, including dozens of relatives of Osama bin Laden, being flown out of the United States in the days immediately following Sept. 11 -- a time when almost all other air traffic was grounded.

Astoundingly, at a time when "Arabs all over the country were being rounded up and interrogated," these Saudis were allowed to leave without being so much as interviewed by federal law-enforcement officials.

That nugget and others in Unger's investigation have been scattered among newspapers and magazines in unconnected bites for months -- and, in some cases, years. But Unger has skillfully packaged declassified government documents, reports from congressional investigations and media accounts to construct a jarring picture of money, power and privilege that raises as many questions as it answers.

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[grannylib]

1. This had better get some mainstream press attention...dammit, I am

so tired of the free ride honeymoon the so-called 'liberal' media is giving this evil, hypocritical, shameless, sleazy, lying, deceptive bunch of crooks...
The Bush family has been financially in bed with the wrong side from the beginnning, all the way to now, from Nazis to Contras to Bin Laden...it's all been very cozy and profitable.

Let's keep this stuff out there...spread it around to friends, family, news organizations both local and national...we can have an impact in sufficient numbers!

[NNN0LHI]

2. All Kerry has to do is bring it up...which he will do soon and then BAAM!

[0007]

7. `Ya know Don, I think I've heard at least a half a

dozen times, this question to VIP's on c-span and other sources, "if they knew anything about flying the bin Laden family out of United States right after 911, after all the airlines had been grounded." And they've all said they didn't know anything about it or never heard of that charge.

Why won't anyone dare talk about this fact?

[yardwork]

5. I agree.

We the people are responsible for making sure that this information gets out. We know that we can't count on the media to do it.

[Old and In the Way]

3. A 30 year Bush/Saudi sweetheart deal to the tune of $1.5BB

Any wonder why our national security is compromised with this Roilist administration in bed with the Royalist House of Saud?

[lanlady]

4. bought the book yesterday

at Costco for $15. Also, someone had taken the trouble of placing copies of Unger's book on top of the stacks of Hannity's book. It was a beautiful site to see.

[llmart]

8. You can also....

go to your public library and ask if they will purchase it or any other anti-* books out there. Ours will almost always buy what is asked of them.

[Joanne98]

6. We need a complete audit of the BFEE's assets

I bet this criminal family has as much as the Saudi's by now.

[GregW]

9. Small point of order ...

The gov'mint didn't authorize the Saudis to fly OUT of the US immediately after 9-11 ... instead they approved them to fly to central marshalling points, at which time they ran away when normal flight operations resumed.

The question is still hanging out there ... why were the Saudis allowed to fly domestically when all other air traffic was grounded.

:shrug:

[Ernesto]

10. I held my breath all last weekend

for this book's publication on Tuesday 3-16 and then...... nothing!.... No one seemed to care... Seems like Unger ought to be on the talk show circuit by now.... Then comes last night's 60 Mn. & everybody is talking about Clark's book....... Go figure!