Conversation with Dr. David Long

"..So then you ask yourself why all of this brouhaha about Arab terrorism and port security? And my answer is this. There are elections coming up next November. The population of this country has been submerged in fear mongering about terrorism, coming both from al-Qaeda as well as from the Administration. When this came up it struck a fear in them that I think was not even thought about either on the “Hill” or by the Administration.."

"..Long states that the extended family in Saudi Arabia is the most important institution in the Kingdom and often refers to the people of Saudi Arabia as being like one large extended family. The importance of family in Saudi Arabia cannot be overemphasized, he continues. “The miracle is not how much Saudi society has changed, ..(i)t is how resilient the society has been in the face of change. The family system is still intact and indeed is probably the most stabilizing force in the country. Whatever Saudi Arabia’s political or economic future, it is difficult to visualize without the paramount importance of family ties,” he says in the book..."