Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 8:20 a.m. EDT
McCain: Ban Egyptian, Saudi Planes From Landing in U.S.
Former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said today that the U.S. should place an immediate ban on all Saudi Arabian and Egyptian airliners from landing in the U.S.
McCain, appearing in the studio on the Imus Show, told Imus he was outraged that Egypt and Saudi Arabia refuse to share the passenger lists of their airlines with U.S. law enforcement agencies.
"You know the only two countries that aren't giving us the passenger lists when they fly into the United States of America, including Kennedy Airport? Saudi Arabia and Egypt," the Arizona senator railed.
"And I say, stop landing until you give us those passenger lists. Don't let them land!"
The U.S. government uses such lists to track the whereabouts and movement of suspected terrorists.
"We give the Egyptians $2 billion a year in U.S. tax dollars in aid," McCain noted. "I think maybe there ought to be an evaluation of all of that, among other things, including our relationship with Saudi Arabia."
The Arizona senator also said that the U.S. needed to "encourage more democracy" in Egypt.
When Don Imus remarked that it was "rumored" that Saudi money had been funding terrorist networks, McCain said that there had "certainly been Saudi money involved" with charities linked to the terrorist groups.
McCain pointed out that the U.S. had come to the aid of Muslims on several occasions in recent years, including its defense of Kuwait and efforts to help Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo. |
