Secrets of Posner - Part1
Al-Hayat 2005/06/6
When Gerald Posner writes about Saudi Arabia I don't see before me a writer and his book but rather a man in a rubbish bin throwing litter in the air with the litter falling back on his head.
Posner has written a new book "Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Saudi-U.S. Connection" after throwing up the book "Why America Slept" in 2003 which I reviewed at the time.
The two books are joined by an idea stated in the first two lines of the Author's Note to the new book that "The Saudi petrodollars that have flooded into United States during the last thirty years have affected American business, politics and society." I say if it were only true and add from the note: It reveals some ways in which the Kingdom has manipulated American institutions and policies.
This is a lie. One only needs to go back to Forbes or Fortune and their list of the 500 wealthiest individuals or largest companies to see that there are men and companies that are richer than the Saudis or with a bigger annual turnover. A Saudi citizen's annual income is about 25% of an American's, and it is far less than the income of citizens of other Arab oil producers in the Gulf because of Saudi Arabia's much larger population.
Posner's book is in a sense that proverbial house in the New Testament, which was built on sand and collapsed under the first storm. I want to start my review of the book today and tomorrow with a note of my own:
I am not here to defend Saudi Arabia. I am not saying it is a democratic state. I am not praising private or public freedoms there, or the rule of law. I am attacking the other side because the Likudnik neo-cons intend to drive a wedge between the United States and Saudi Arabia and all Arabs and Muslims, and also for insulting (again) the memory of Prince Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz. He is to me not HRH but a dear departed friend.
I beg the reader to remember this introduction as I continue.
In his new book Posner picks up from where he left off in the book Why America Slept. He again quotes extensively from Abu Zubaydah, an al-Qaeda leader whose wild imagination led to hallucinate about the film Godzella and scenes of attack on the Brooklyn bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Abu Zubaydah's statements have been totally discredited but Posner repeats the lie in a Gobblesian manner so that people would believe it. He says that after Abu Zubaydah referred to Prince Ahmed and two cousins (also Pakistani Air Marshal Ali Mir) the three princes died in a manner presented by Posner as if to say that the Royal family kills its children.
The reasons for the deaths are well established but I want to settle once and for all the controversy about the death of Prince Ahmed as I knew him and his family for many many years and also the hospital and doctors. Prince Ahmed went into hospital for the simple treatment of hemorrhoids and once there decided to have a gastric ligation because he always suffered from a weight problem and was on a constant diet. This led to a heart attack and he passed away. No more no less.
Posner goes on to contest the findings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States whose comprehensive report sold over a million copies and won The National Book Award. Posner has the gall to think that he could know more that the bi-partisan commission with its scores of investigators and multi-million dollar budget. The report did nor even mention the three princes, and Abu Zubaydah was cited in reference to the terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The report found no evidence the Saudi Government or officials financed al-Qaeda so Posner contested that as well.
The neo-cons and other Likudniks in the administration and think tanks are hell bent on damaging the historically close relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. They have still to regain their composure on seeing President Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah walk hand in hand in the president's farm in Crawford.
Building a false case, Posner commits the most glaring of errors which make his whole work laughable. I am not laughing because the subject is very serious so I will continue with the mistakes tomorrow.
Jihad Khazen
When Gerald Posner writes about Saudi Arabia I don't see before me a writer and his book but rather a man in a rubbish bin throwing litter in the air with the litter falling back on his head.
Posner has written a new book "Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Saudi-U.S. Connection" after throwing up the book "Why America Slept" in 2003 which I reviewed at the time.
The two books are joined by an idea stated in the first two lines of the Author's Note to the new book that "The Saudi petrodollars that have flooded into United States during the last thirty years have affected American business, politics and society." I say if it were only true and add from the note: It reveals some ways in which the Kingdom has manipulated American institutions and policies.
This is a lie. One only needs to go back to Forbes or Fortune and their list of the 500 wealthiest individuals or largest companies to see that there are men and companies that are richer than the Saudis or with a bigger annual turnover. A Saudi citizen's annual income is about 25% of an American's, and it is far less than the income of citizens of other Arab oil producers in the Gulf because of Saudi Arabia's much larger population.
Posner's book is in a sense that proverbial house in the New Testament, which was built on sand and collapsed under the first storm. I want to start my review of the book today and tomorrow with a note of my own:
I am not here to defend Saudi Arabia. I am not saying it is a democratic state. I am not praising private or public freedoms there, or the rule of law. I am attacking the other side because the Likudnik neo-cons intend to drive a wedge between the United States and Saudi Arabia and all Arabs and Muslims, and also for insulting (again) the memory of Prince Ahmed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz. He is to me not HRH but a dear departed friend.
I beg the reader to remember this introduction as I continue.
In his new book Posner picks up from where he left off in the book Why America Slept. He again quotes extensively from Abu Zubaydah, an al-Qaeda leader whose wild imagination led to hallucinate about the film Godzella and scenes of attack on the Brooklyn bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Abu Zubaydah's statements have been totally discredited but Posner repeats the lie in a Gobblesian manner so that people would believe it. He says that after Abu Zubaydah referred to Prince Ahmed and two cousins (also Pakistani Air Marshal Ali Mir) the three princes died in a manner presented by Posner as if to say that the Royal family kills its children.
The reasons for the deaths are well established but I want to settle once and for all the controversy about the death of Prince Ahmed as I knew him and his family for many many years and also the hospital and doctors. Prince Ahmed went into hospital for the simple treatment of hemorrhoids and once there decided to have a gastric ligation because he always suffered from a weight problem and was on a constant diet. This led to a heart attack and he passed away. No more no less.
Posner goes on to contest the findings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States whose comprehensive report sold over a million copies and won The National Book Award. Posner has the gall to think that he could know more that the bi-partisan commission with its scores of investigators and multi-million dollar budget. The report did nor even mention the three princes, and Abu Zubaydah was cited in reference to the terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The report found no evidence the Saudi Government or officials financed al-Qaeda so Posner contested that as well.
The neo-cons and other Likudniks in the administration and think tanks are hell bent on damaging the historically close relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States. They have still to regain their composure on seeing President Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah walk hand in hand in the president's farm in Crawford.
Building a false case, Posner commits the most glaring of errors which make his whole work laughable. I am not laughing because the subject is very serious so I will continue with the mistakes tomorrow.
Jihad Khazen
posted by Khazen at 8:33 AM
1 Comments:
just stopping by to comment on your intelligent blog. Your blog is appreciated by readers specially when its backed up by some logic and evidence.unlike what posner is all about..good day
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