Saudi Prince To US: Bush Left "Sickening Legacy" In Middle East

[babylonsister]

Saudi Prince: Bush Left "Sickening Legacy" In Middle East

DONNA ABU-NASR | January 24, 2009 02:41 PM EST | AP


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's ex-ambassador to Washington said former President George W. Bush left a "sickening legacy" in the Middle East and warned that U.S.-Saudi relations would be at risk if the Obama administration doesn't change America's policy in the region.

Prince Turki al-Faisal's unusually tough words were the latest blunt assessment by the Saudi royal family that prospects for Arab-Israeli peace are growing dim unless dramatic policy changes are made.

Turki said he strongly promoted the Arab-Israeli peace process in his decades as a public servant. But after Israel's three-week assault in the Gaza Strip, the prince said, "these pleas for optimism and co-operation now seem a distant memory," he said in a Financial Times op-ed published Friday.

The kingdom has resisted calls for a holy war against Israel, "but every day this restraint becomes more difficult to maintain," he added.

The comments followed a warning from King Abdullah on Monday that his 2002 Arab-Israeli peace initiative won't remain on the table forever.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/saudi-prince-b...

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. but, I thought they were hand-holding buddies

what happened?

reality?

[Blue_In_AK]

13. That's exactly what I was thinking.

Wow, if the Saudis are mad at the Bushes, that's a pretty serious rift.

[Deja Q]

18. I'm ignorant on this, but is it not Saudi custom to hold hands and all that?

[ThomWV]

24. They were, that's why he didn't get tough with the USA until his buddy was gone.

He is more than happy to kick President Obama in the balls on the floor of the same Oval Office he stood in as he patted George Bush's back.

[LakeSamish706]

2. Why did they wait until Bush was gone to bring this up? duh... n/t

[BuelahWitch]

8. Maybe they were afraid they'd get envelopes with white powder in them

Or they'd end up the same way Sadam Hussein did.
The Bushes were surely holding something over their heads...

[Trajan]

3. Kettle complains about Pot ....

"The Pot is black!", screams the Kettle ....

The Saudi's are JUST as culpable as Bush ... They are peas in the same pod ....

Greedy Oil Fucks ....

[grassfed]

7. greedy?

If the Saudis didn't stand up to the US they'd have suffered the fate of African diamond miners. The Saudis just have the audacity to do business with the US on standard international business terms. If the Saudis are gouging the market, why do US oil companies reap consistently record profits?

[Trajan]

15. Oh no ... I was joking ....

The Saudis are SOOOOOOOOO wonderful .....

Look .... There are many reasons to dislike the Saudis, which I will not renumerate here ...

Yes ... I believe they are greedy ....

Your linkage of 'Saudi greed' versus 'oil company profits' is a Bifurcation fallacy ... a false dichotomy ....

It is entirely possible for Saudi's to be greedy AND for oil companies to reap huge profits ....

They are all greedy in my book: They get no quarter here ...

[grassfed]

25. praise god there are no greedy people here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab1NTIlO-FM&eurl

those damn Saudis!

[Trajan]

27. Who said there were no greedy people here ?

The Saud family is amongst the most WEALTHY entities on earth ....

This is a FAMILY ....

They are also amongst the most strident adherents of Sharia, the most backwards in their treatment of women's rights, with an awful record in the treatment of foreign workers ....

There are PLENTY of greedy people in the world, and I wouldnt single out the Saud's as being the only source of the world's greed, but there is no doubt as to the disproportionate accumulation of wealth by that specific family, in that specific nation, in this specific world .... Simply mentioning their specific vices does not deny the vices of all others, as you would depict ...

Apology for the Saudi family get's no quarter here either ...

[acmavm]

28. NOT sticking up for the Saudi royals BUT oil is all those people have.

They don't have much more to export or sell. And without something to sell you end up like, oh yeah, the US.

[rurallib]

4. Where in the fuck were all these people when it could have done some good?

Why did no one stand up to this mother fucker when he was the worst president ever?

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Yep. Georgie was the world's 8 years long case of Salmonella.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

6. Oh, those Sauds. Willing to play ball with whoever's in the White House.

[stillcool]

9. I've read that China was cozing up to the Saudi's....

although I can't imagine how that's possible.

[Ikonoklast]

21. Yep. This was just a signal that they will lay on their backs

so it will be easier for Obama to rub their belly. I hope he kicks them in the ribs.

I detest the House of Saud more than any regime on this planet. They are North Korea with oil.

[goforit]

10. Saudi Arabia's support for Bush/Israel has been intensely sincere, unwavering

and forever loyal.

So to avoid the catastrophe of being an accomplice to Israel's war crimes, they cowardly come out against Israel's actions.

What a bunch of putzs.

[givemebackmycountry]

11. 15 out of 19 hi-jackers baby

Until you Saudi fuckers talk about that, shut the eff up, and wake up every morning and be happy we have not leveled every palace in your evil woman hating kingdom.

We OWE you fuckers one.
Don't forget it.

[Catshrink]

12. Can't forget this:

Did they break up?

[ellenfl]

14. at the time, i got the impression that bandar (bush) was recalled

as ambassador and replaced by al-faisal because he was too chummy with dubya and pere. perhaps georgie seriously overstepped with them.

ellen fl

[no_hypocrisy]

16. Saudis want it both ways.

They could have beheaded "Prince" Bandar any time they thought he was ruining the Mideast.

[Deja Q]

19. They're bi? Maybe that does explain the hand holding as suggested earlier...

( )

[SpiralHawk]

17. "Smirk - Sneer." - Commander AWOL & VP Dickie 'Five Deferments' Cheney (R)

"We republicons are (smirk) proud of our FAIL. Now we want Obama and America to FAIL, just like us. Smirk."

[bluesmail]

20. sickening they need to do theatre to distance themselves from * .

Bawahaahhaah The party's over. (I think).

[dkofos]

22. I guess the hand holding and kissing clouded his mind.

[grassfed]

26. Liberals who disdain foreign cultural etiquette are not liberals

In many cases, people of the same gender holding hands while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations.

Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances such as standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders and serving older people first at a meal table.

Hospitality is held in high regard throughout the Middle East. Some hosts take pride in the laborious preparation of what is known in Europe as “Turkish coffee”, grinding fresh-roasted coffee beans to a fine powder, dissolving sugar and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards.

Many people throughout the Middle East, especially Arabs, take great pride in shows of hospitality, never failing to at least serve coffee and a snack such as figs but preferring to present guests with a lavish choice of expensive delicacies in abundance. To refuse such hospitality can cause offense.

In some areas in the Middle East, it is common for people to take their food from a common plate in the center of the table. Rather than employing forks or spoons, people may scoop up hummus and other foodstuff with pita bread.

In many Middle Eastern countries, grouping the thumb and fingers together, and shaking it up and down, fingers pointing upwards, indicates "wait".
In Iran, the "thumbs up" gesture is considered an offensive insult.

Displaying the sole of one's foot or touching somebody with one's shoe is often considered rude. In some circumstances, shoes should be removed before entering a living room.

Many in the Middle East do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust and honour. There is a tendency to prioritise personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust.

Responding to an anger or seriousness with light laughter or a smile is common. This must not be seen as an indication that the other person is not taking you or the situation seriously.

A common custom in Iranian culture is 'tarof' which can be translated as 'offering', it is common for a person to not accept an offering (food, beverages etc.) the first or possibly second time, instead taking up the offer the third time, this traditionally implies dignity, self-respect and respect for the host.

Positioning yourself so your back is not facing another person is also a common Iranian custom.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-busines...

[dkofos]

29. Thanks for the etiquitte lesson. Not that I give a shit.

[UpInArms]

23. Flashback: 02/06/2002: Official: 15 of 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudi

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/02/06/saudi.htm

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia acknowledged for the first time that 15 of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers were Saudi citizens, but said Wednesday that the oil-rich kingdom bears no responsibility for their actions.

Previously, Saudi Arabia had said the citizenship of 15 of the 19 hijackers was in doubt despite U.S. insistence they were Saudis. But Interior Minister Prince Nayef told The Associated Press that Saudi leaders were shocked to learn 15 of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.

"The names that we got confirmed that," Nayef said in an interview. "Their families have been notified."

Osama bin Laden — the chief suspect in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks the killed more than 3,000 people — was Saudi born but stripped of his citizenship in 1994.

Asked if he had information on whether bin Laden was dead or alive, Nayef said: "We have no information and we have no interest in this subject."

Nayef also said the kingdom has detained about 30 people since the attacks, based on lists provided by the United States. Some have been released.

Nayef said the men still in detention "have been influenced by bin Laden's thinking."

...more...

ahem...

the saudi prince of shit should STFU