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EDITOR'S NOTE:
The following item of interest features excerpts about Saudi Arabia taken
from The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11
Commission) final report. These excerpts address the
issue of the flights of Saudi nationals leaving the United States after
September 11, 2001 and give recommendations for the U.S.-Saudi
relationship. Links to the related sections of the 9/11
Commission report are included at the end of each excerpt.
The Commission report in its entirety is
on-line. Links to the complete report and individual chapters are
provided below.
| 9/11 Commission Report --
Saudi Arabia
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Flights of Saudi Nationals Leaving the
United States
[Excerpt taken from pages 329-330]
 "Three questions have arisen with respect
to the departure of Saudi nationals from the United States in the immediate aftermath
of 9/11: (1) Did any flights of Saudi nationals take place before the
national airspace reopened on September 13, 2001? (2) Was there any
political intervention to facilitate the departure of Saudi nationals?
(3) Did the FBI screen Saudi nationals thoroughly before their departure?
"First, we found no evidence that any
flights of Saudi nationals, domestic or international, took place before the
reopening of national airspace on the morning of September 13, 2001..
"Second, we found no evidence of
political intervention. We found no evidence that anyone at the White House
above the level of Richard Clarke participated in a decision on the departure
of Saudi nationals..
"Third, we believe that the FBI conducted
a satisfactory screening of Saudi nationals who left the United States on
charter flights.."
Click
here to read the full text from which this excerpt was taken.
 Saudi Arabia
[Excerpt from pages 371-374]
"The
leaders of the United States and the rulers of Saudi Arabia have long had
friendly relations, rooted in fundamentally common interests against the Soviet
Union during the Cold War, in American hopes that Saudi oil supplies would
stabilize the supply and price of oil in world markets, and in Saudi hopes
that America could help protect the Kingdom against foreign threats..
"For many years, leaders on both sides
preferred to keep their ties quiet and behind the scenes. As a result,
neither the U.S. nor the Saudi people appreciated all the dimensions of the
bilateral relationship, including the Saudi role in U.S. strategies to promote
the Middle East peace process. In each country, political figures find
it difficult to publicly defend good relations with the other..
"Cooperation with Saudi Arabia against
Islamist terrorism is very much in the U.S. interest. Such cooperation
can exist for a time largely in secret, as it does now, but it cannot grow and
thrive there. Nor, on either side, can friendship be unconditional..
"Recommendation: The problems in
the U.S.-Saudi relationship must be confronted, openly. The United
States and Saudi Arabia must determine if they can build a relationship that
political leaders on both sides are prepared to publicly defend -- a
relationship about more than oil. It should include a shared commitment
to political and economic reform, as Saudis make common cause with the outside
world. It should include a shared interest in greater tolerance and
cultural respect, translating into a commitment to fight the violent
extremists who foment hatred.."
Click
here to read the full text from which this excerpt was taken.
Related Articles:
- No Impropriety Found In Saudis'
Exit Flights
By John Mintz, The Washington Post
"The Sept. 11 commission discounted a number of conspiracy
theories that have been laid out in books, movies and magazine articles
asserting that the FBI and the Bush administration committed improprieties
in allowing bin Laden family members and other Saudis to jet back to their
country in the days after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
." Complete
report..
- No
Saudi Backing of 9/11 Found
By Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times
"The commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is expected to
reject claims that Saudi Arabia provided money and assistance to the
hijackers, challenging one of the most contentious allegations raised by a
joint congressional inquiry that concluded last year.." Complete
report..
- Facts About Saudi Arabia in
9-11 Commission Report
PR Newswire
"Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar bin Sultan stated:
'The 9-11 Commission has confirmed what we have been saying all along. The
clear statements by this independent, bipartisan commission have debunked
the myths that have cast fear and doubt over Saudi Arabia..'" Complete
report..
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