THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, U.S.A.
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 173, July 5, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
SAUDI ABDUCTION & THE BETRAYAL OF AMERICAN FAMILIES:
A BRIEFING PRESENTED TO THE MIDDLE EAST FORUM
By Patricia Roush
Under the guise of securing "national interests," America has allowed Saudi fathers to abduct their own children to live under the
worst conditions of theocratic repression. I am one of many victims of this complicity. My daughters were abducted from me by
my Saudi ex-husband when they were 3 ½ and 7 years old. In my struggle to win back my children, I encountered not only the
hostility of Saudi officials, but also the shocking indifference of U.S. State Department bureaucrats. As America wakes up to the
problem of the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in allowing abusive fathers control over the fate of their children, other dimensions of this
relationship become evident, including Saudi support for terrorism.
A Fragile Relationship
:
My battle to regain custody over my children must be placed in the wider context of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, which at best is a rather
tenuous exchange of security for oil. However, in light of the atrocities committed on September 11, 2001, the status quo is no longer
escaping the scrutiny of the outside world. The tensions be- tween the United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been
magnified.
This is not a surprise, given the Kingdom's history. In the eighteenth century, the Saud family made a pact with the devil in
forming an alliance with the Wahhabis, followers of a puritanical, extremist sect of Islam. Wahhabism then flourished be- cause of the muscle
behind its doctrines, due to the expansionist energies of the Saudi clan. And, in turn, the Saud family maintained control over the
Arabian Pen- insula because of the legitimacy conferred by the Wahhabis.
Starting in the 1940s, U.S. support became part of the Saudi support system. To keep this support active, the Saudi leadership
developed a vast apparatus to lobby offical Washington on its behalf. Highly paid and scripted spin-doctors make guest
appearances on national television. Glossy ads appear in national magazines. A mountain of apologetic scholarship undergirds
these efforts. These gimmicks, how- ever, are increasingly undermined as enterprising journalists and others reveal the climate of
religious extremism that reigns through the kingdom. There is a growing perception that Saudi Arabia is an enemy rather than an
ally.
Preferential Treatment for the Enemy:
As more Americans learn about the truth of Saudi Arabia's religious extremism and its role in fomenting terrorism, the more too they
learn about the U.S. government's complicity in the Saudi actions. One aspect of this is the U.S. State Department's abandonment
of American children in Saudi Arabia. There are thousands of tragic family stories written off by the State Department.
To further add insult to injury, Saudi Arabia continues to receive preferential treat- ment, even after September 11th. Prince Bandar,
the most senior member of the Washington diplomatic corps, enjoys the unique distinction of being protected, at the U.S. taxpayer's
expense, by State Department security officials. Saudi elites con- tinue to fund socalled "charities" that serve as front organizations
for terrorists, and there has been very little U.S. counteraction. The Visa Express program, which allows Saudi citizens to secure
passage to America without going through the usual consular and embassy channels, was not shut down after the September 11th.
at- tacks, even though three of the nineteen hijackers infiltrated the country through the Visa Express system. Saudi visa applicants are rejected
at much lower rates when compared globally to other nationals, 3% versus 25%. Some modest reforms have been made but the abuse,
neglect, and mismanagement still persists. It is time for real change
The foregoing paragraphs constitute a summary account written by by Zachary Constantino, research assistant at the Middle East
Forum.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Patricia Roush is Executive Director of the Center for Children's Issues, a San Francisco-based advocacy organization specializing in
international child abductions. She has testified as an expert witness on this subject at congressional hearings and has made frequent
appearances on national television. She is the author of AT ANY PRICE: HOW AMERICA BETRAYED MY KIDNAPPED DAUGHTERS
FOR SAUDI OIL (WND Books, 2003).
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