From CNN - Saudi Ambassador Resigns and Leaves Country

[Not_Giving_Up]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/12/usa.saudi.reut/index.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al-Faisal, has resigned his post after just 15 months on the job and returned home, an official from the Saudi Embassy said on Tuesday.

"The Embassy can confirm that he is leaving. He wants to spend more time with his family," said the embassy official, who asked not to be identified. His predecessor, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, held the job for 22 years.

Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of the United States and is the world's top oil exporter.

Diplomats in Riyadh noted in recent days that the health of his brother, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, was not good, and he appeared slow or ill in recent public appearances.



The rest of it goes on to say that he recently fired a consultant who wrote an OpEd in the Washington Post who suggested that Saudi Arabia will support Sunnis in Iraq if things get worse there.


Duck and cover, gang.....Something is coming!

[SpiralHawk]

1. How's about a good-bye kiss for your Cousin Chimpy?

Commander AWOL just loves his bin Laden boy-0s

[AndyA]

2. Hmmm...

Duck and cover, gang.....Something is coming!

And with George Bush and Gestapo still at the helm, we all know we are in more danger than we would otherwise be. After all the reports that say the military action in Iraq is increasing terrorism, and with the hatred that so many in the world feel toward Bush, we are at greater risk just because he is pResident.

Nice going, George. You're killing our military, putting us in unprecedented debt, and putting our lives in greater danger because of your irresponsible policies, stupidity, and arrogance.

Investigate - Impeach - Incarcerate!




Edit: To correct formatting of quote.

[SpiralHawk]

6. Didn't we just learn that Bush's bosom cronies, the Saudis, are funding Iraq terrorists?

who has a link?

We do know that 19 of the 21 hijakers on 9/11 were Saudis. And that none were from Iraq.

And we know that Bush flew about 20 members of the bin Laden clan out of The USA, while every other flight was grounded -- giving the bin Laden cronies special -- and highly suspect -- treatment.

Maybe Commander AWOL is finally getting a clue.

Nah. That can't be it.

[SpiralHawk]

15. D'oh - Officials say Saudis fund Iraq insurgents

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/nation_world/story.asp?ID=163369

CAIRO, Egypt – Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to key Iraqi officials and others familiar with the flow of cash.

Saudi government officials deny that any money from their country is being sent to Iraqis fighting the government and the U.S.-led coalition.

But the U.S. Iraq Study Group report said Saudis are a source of funding for Sunni Arab insurgents. Several truck drivers interviewed by the Associated Press described carrying boxes of cash from Saudi Arabia into Iraq, money they said was headed for insurgents.

(snip)

[meegbear]

3. I don't know which one bothers me more about this administration ...

that people leave "to spend more time with their family" or the way people in the admin make "surprise visits" to Iraq.

[sweetheart]

4. rumsfeld, bolton and now al-faisal

The criminal gang behind the war(s) is coming apart at the seams.

[zreosumgame]

5. so what does he know that we don't?

'more time with his family'? LOL yeah right

[SoCalDem]

7. "...He wants to spend more time with his family," ..." now where have we heard that before?

A few weeks ago he was being interviewed by Brian Lamb, and got quite testy when asked about his "family"..

I have googled and googled, but never did find more info. He DID say that his first marriage was at 18..to a "woman" SIGNIFICANTLY younger than he was...but he refused to say her actual age ..

[zreosumgame]

8. so their next attack is in about a week?

[Not_Giving_Up]

11. The best part about this...

I saw this on CNN's crawl this morning while I was getting the kids off to school. I watched for an hour and a half, and they never once mentioned it. E-coli at Taco Bell and Taco John's was more important.

[samfishX]

17. They didn't mention when the leader of the

Northern Alliance was assassinated 3 or 4 days before 9/11, either.
I remember reading about it buried in the back of USA Today, though.

That said, I really don't think anything deadly (to our shores) is going to come as a result or relation of this.

[Not_Giving_Up]

22. I wish I could be so optimistic

After all, the Dems took back control of Congress, now BushCo has to prove that with Dems in power, we'll get attacked.

[thereismore]

9. "more time with his family" He don't like cousin George no more? nt

[Little Wing]

10. NYC's a gittin nukalated

:tinfoilhat:

[thereismore]

12. Prince is throwing in because unca Dick is unable to do their bidding.

I think power is slipping from Dick's hand.

[Blackhatjack]

13. This is not welcome news given the state of affairs..... n/t

[EducatedDerelict]

14. Historically speaking...

....it's NEVER a good sign when the Diplomats fold up shop - like German consulates mysteriously canceling all their orders to Russian tailors two months before Barbarossa...

[newyawker99]

29. Hi EducatedDerelict!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Peace Patriot]

16. See Greg Palast's latest: "The Baker Boys: Stay Half the Course"

It's all about the Saudis/Sunnis and US troops being kept in the middle of the Iran/Shia vs. Saudi/Sunni war over Iraq's oil, to limit the damage to the Sunnis.

http://www.gregpalast.com/the-baker-boys-stay-half-the-course

I think I may be onto something, that this is why Rumsfeld was forced out. Too, too pro-Iran/Shia. Think about it: Who's winning the war in Iraq? Iran (Shia)! Who's his daddy? Ahmed Chalabi (Iranian double-agent). Whose his other daddy? Manucher Ghorbanifar (Niger forgeries and perhaps more). Whose running Iraq's government and slaughtering Sunnis every chance they get, using weapons and "training" provided by Donald Rumsfeld? The Shias. And whom did Rumsfeld concoct the Niger forgeries and other phony WMD evidence to indict? --Saddam Hussein (a Sunni). And whose government did Rumsfeld utterly destroy in every way possible, to the point of lunacy? The Sunnis. So, now, the Baker/Bush Cartel asserts itself on behalf of the Saudis/Sunnis. And whose THEIR daddy? The king of Saudi Arabia!

I never thought it was the election, as to why Rumsfeld was suddenly ousted. (Since when do Bush or Rumsfeld or Cheney care about the opinion of the American people?) (Never! NEVER!)

[lapfog_1]

19. The Saudis were OK with the war on Iraq... until bushco botched it

Now, because Bush insisted on a democracy, the Shia are in control, and we clearly are not in control of the Shia. The Saudis are pissed off bigtime. They are funding the Sunni insurgency and have made statements in the past few weeks to the effect that if the US pulls out, they will (somehow) put troops into Iraq to support their Sunni brothers. Cheney was summoned to Riyadh to hear directly how unhappy the Saudis were regarding the direction the war is taking and the fact that it seems to them that the US is choosing the Shia side in the ethic cleansing that is happening. Just a day ago or so, a Sunni cleric in Saudi Arabia called for a Jihad against the Shia in Iraq (and the clerics in Saudi Arabia do no do such things without government approval these days). Now the Ambassador to the US is returning home.

Expect Saudis to do TWO MORE THINGS (the biggest guns they have)... they may join Iran in moving to a Euro based price for crude oil (that alone will tank our economy), and the other is to cut back on oil production. Either move could send the US (heavily overextended in foreign capital markets) into a deep recession or worse.

We cannot choose sides and we now can't just leave without putting some other force into Iraq to keep the majority Shia from butchering the minority Sunnis.

Way to go neocons. Thanks, George.

[Jacobin]

21. Actually, the Saudis and everyone else in the region

(except for Israel) was against this invasion.

They all knew it would open Pandora's box.

[lapfog_1]

24. By "OK" I didn't mean to imply they were in favor of it.

I think the Saudis held the same opinion as Baker and the rest of daddy bush's retainers about juniors adventure in the desert. They didn't do much to oppose the war (like breaking diplomatic ties with the US or something).

[Sugar Smack]

18. Then there's the matter of Bush's 98,000 acres of land in Paraguay.

Not liking this at all.

[SpiralHawk]

23. must you mention that?

it's so embarassing.

Hideout or Water Raid?
Bush's Paraguay Land Grab

By CP News Wire

Asuncion, Paraguay.

The land grab project of U.S. President George W. Bush in Chaco, Paraguay, has generated considerable discomfort both politically and environmentally.

The news circulating the continent about plans to buy 98,840 acres of land in Chaco, Paraguay, near the Triple Frontier (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay) is the talk of the town in these countries.

http://www.counterpunch.org/cp10202006.html

[spanone]

20. Bwahahahaha... the old 'more time with family' BS. Bwahahahaha

n/t

[SpiralHawk]

25. Something is up -- sniff, sniff -- something big

me no like

[LSK]

26. is Bandar coming back then???

Bush needs more marching orders...

[Disturbed]

28. Maybe the Saudis were told that the Sunnis is Iraq

will be slaughtered and that Busholini has decided to back the Shia by sending in 20K Troops into the Sunni Triangle. Only problem is that there is also a Shia Insurgency that is fighting against the US/UK Occupation. This has gone beyond a Fiasco.

[in_cog_ni_to]

27. Oh boy. I agree. Something's coming and it isn't going to be good.

Why is everyone's excuse.."I want to spend time with my family?" Don't they all know we know that's a bullshit excuse? Why not just tell the TRUTH?