Monday, August 4, 2003
Is the State Department on the Saudi Payroll? By David Bedein The Israel Resource Review
These are matters that must be brought to the immediate attention of the White House, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US House International Relations Committee, and to the media . . .
1. The US State Department has ignored all data brought to its attention from Israeli intelligence which provides documents, records minutes, and recordings which demonstrate Abu Mazen's direct involvement with the PLO murder campaign which has ensued over the past three years, which have resulted in more than 18,000 terror attacks and more than 800 Israeli citizens who have been murdered by Arab terrorists in cold blood.[...]
Impression: Bedien lays out 20 different decisions or actions State has made that make one wonder where their priorities are. While I have grave concerns about State's priorities, I also think it's fair to keep in mind that the State Department's job is primarily diplomatic, so their decisions are always likely to seem overly circumspect to the more hawkish crowd (which I couint myself amongst). Still, this stuff is very much worth reading and bearing in mind. It takes strong leadership to overcome the institutional inertia of a large corporation like the US Department of State.
Despite the title, this article focuses more on Palestinian Arab issues. For a look at US-Saudi relations, take a look at The Scandal of U.S.-Saudi Relations by Daniel Pipes.
