Double Talk: Saudi Diplomat's Charm Fails Him

(Dallas Morning News) Editorial - Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the longtime Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., is by most accounts an extremely charming and capable man. But his social grace and diplomatic skill failed him the other day when Tim Russert of NBC News' Meet the Press questioned him about the Saudi government's connections to terrorism. Russert aired a jaw-dropping video of a Saudi government-sponsored telethon that raised $92 million for Islamic suicide bombers who blow up Jews in Israel. An increasingly exasperated Prince Bandar either denied the accusations or said they were part of the pre-Sept. 11 past. But Russert reminded him that the telethon occurred in April 2003. Should anyone be surprised if the American people consider Saudi Arabia part of the problem rather than part of the solution to the scourge of terrorism?


2004-04-30 00:00:00

Full Article

BACK

Visit the Daily Alert Archive