still pounding that old shit huh,this looks like a good spot to archive:http://inic.utexas.edu/menic/utaustin/course/oilcourse/mail/saudi/0002.html
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Middle East Intelligence Report June 2, 1993
HEADLINE: SAUDI ARABIA REPORTEDLY INVOLVED IN TERRORISM
SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST INTELLIGENCE REPORT, From AL-SAFIR in Arabic
Cairo-Egyptian sources have disclosed that Saudi Arabia has played an
active role in backing the Islamic groups' activities in Egypt. These sources
told AL-SAFIR that the information Egypt recently obtained from certain
detained leaders of the Vanguard of the Islamic Conquest (Tala'i' al-Fath
al-Islami) organization is sufficient to prove involvement by high level Saudi
circles in terrorist activity in Egypt.
These sources told AL-SAFIR that one of the leaders of the Vanguards of the
Islamic Conquest who was recently apprehended admitted that the organization
received financial and military aid through certain Saudi intelligence men
for six months beginning in September 1992. He also disclosed that certain
leaders of this organization visited Saudi Arabia more than once at the
invitation of Saudi intelligence, and that they held several meetings with the
main aides of Prince Turki Bin-Faysal, the director of the Saudi
Intelligence Department that supervised the organization, its plans, its choice
of leaders, and the financing of its operations. He also said that the vanguards
of the Islamic Conquest members received from Saudi intelligence detailed maps
of certain areas of Cairo, Alexandria, and Ismailia, along with those of the
Upper Egypt governorates. He noted that the latest instructions given to them
entailed moving their operations to the Qina Governorate, the most important
governorate of Upper Egypt and the target of the fewest operations by the
Islamic groups.
A responsible source in Cairo asserted to AL-SAFIR that these new pieces of
evidence, which emphasize Saudi Arabia's involvement in supporting terrorist
operations, will be the focus of talks between Cairo and Riyadh in the future.
He said that Egypt will seriously look at and follow up on Saudi pledges to
stop all forms of "terrorism" disguised as religion. The Egyptian source noted
the Egyptian leadership's resentment of this information and that the
President's Office ordered a detailed file on this information and evidence,
excluding all speculations.
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TITLE: A Menacing Alliance In the Gulf
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/94
A Menacing Alliance In the Gulf
By J. Robinson West
President Clinton's firm response to Saddam Hussein was correct -
for now. Ironically his policy may create problems later.
From afar, the Persian Gulf region has been quiet since Iraq was
trounced in 1991. Up close, however, much is changing, and not
for the better.
The administration's policy of "dual containment," isolating Iran
and Iraq as international pariahs, has had some unintended
consequences. Although the economies of both countries have
suffered, the governments in Iran and Iraq have continued in
power, and there appears to be no credible opposition capable of
wrenching power from them. A nightmare in the gulf may slowly be
taking form. By isolating both countries from the world economy,
and making the United States their common enemy, we are forcing
them into each other's arms. Covert trade and cooperation is
beginning between these countries. For example, Iran is swapping
crude oil and products with Iraq, in spite of the U.N. embargo.
We are losing control over the U.N.-Iraq process. The U.N.
alliance that crushed Saddam is in tatters. It was unsustainable
in the long term. Both France and Russia want to re-establish
traditional positions of influence in Iraq and benefit from the
immense wealth that would be unlocked if Iraq returned to the oil
markets and could rebuild its economy.
Thus it is the United States alone that could end up being the
protector of the gulf against an unholy alliance of Iran and
Iraq, both regional powers, and guarantor for the great prize in
the region, Saudi Arabia. But things are changing there as well.
Saudi Arabia remains the linchpin of the world petroleum economy
and has pursued a sensible oil policy in recent years. Since the
oil boom of the '70s and '80s, however, when it had more than
$100 billion in foreign exchange reserves, Saudi Arabia has now
become a net borrower. Paying for Operation Desert Storm cost the
country more than $55 billion. It cleaned the Saudis out
financially, and a society once lubricated with oil money now has
grinding gears.
Saudi Arabia is now less secure, internally and regionally, than
it was. Corruption in the royal family continues. Religious
opposition is growing, as well as frustration from the middle
class over a lack of representation. In September, the Saudi
government announced a roundup of roughly 100 "dissidents." The
number was probably closer to 1,000. But President Clinton has
not murmured a word about human rights in the kingdom. Also, it
went largely unnoticed in Washington but not in the gulf that
Saudi Arabia committed its prestige and money to supporting the
rebels in a failed attempt to split and weaken neighboring Yemen
in its civil war earlier this year.
U.S. policy in the gulf is now driven by Saudi Arabia. The
Saudis have been reliable friends and allies. But we should be
careful not to repeat our past mistake of standing or falling
with a single ally, as we did with Iran.
Finally, a global trend is occurring that could cause the
president serious domestic political problems. The oil industry
is operating near production capacity, and worldwide products
demand, particularly in Asia, is growing. Saudi Arabia, the
largest producer, does not have the funds to expand its capacity.
Soon, there won't be any slack left in the industry. There is
already far less than during the oil shocks of the
At some point, Bill Clinton may need Saddam Hussein's oil,
estimated at more than 100 billion barrels. But if the president
draws too deep a line in the sand now, he may not have any
options later. The result could be a choice between unwanted
concessions to Saddam, a diplomatic fiasco, or rapidly rising
gasoline prices, an economic and political disaster. The
president must have flexibility. The economy cannot become a
commercial hostage to Iraq. The United States needs a new policy
in the gulf. Right now, our policy is either punitive or
reactive. We must broaden our alliances in the region. New power
blocs that could destabilize or even dominate the region cannot
be permitted. Finally, our allies must manage change positively,
before it is forced upon them, and us, with disastrous
consequences.
The writer, a former assistant secretary of the interior, is
president of the Petroleum Finance Co., oil and gas consultants.
Los Angeles Times
October 28, 1994, Friday, Electronic Edition
HEADLINE: CLINTON SEEKS CUTOFF OF HAMAS' MIDEAST FUNDING;
TERRORISM: THE PRESIDENT ASKS SYRIA, SAUDI JARABIA AND KUWAIT TO PUT A STOP
TO ALL SUPPORT FOR THE GROUP. HE'S MADE LITTLE PROGRESS.
BYLINE: By DOYLE McMANUS and DAVID LAUTER, TIMES STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: DAMASCUS, Syria
President Clinton is privately asking the rulers of Syria, Saudi Arabia
andKuwait to choke off support for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas,
but he has made little headway, U.S. officials said Thursday. claimed
responsibility for last week's bombing of a Tel Aviv bus that killed 23
people as part of its crusade against Arab-Israeli peace agreements.
Experts on terrorism say Hamas uses Syria as a base of operations and
raises money from private citizens in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, both close
U.S. allies. All three countries are on Clinton's tour of the Middle East
this week.
When the President raised the issue of terrorism with Syrian President
Hafez Assad on Thursday, he got a frosty response. Clinton said he told
Assad that support for Hamas or other terrorists is "inconsistent" with
the pursuit of peace, and he quoted Assad as expressing "deep regret" over
the killings in Tel Aviv by saying: "We have to end the killing of
innocents."
But Assad did not repeat that sentiment publicly at the two presidents'
news conference here today, and refused to be drawn into a discussion of
Syria's roleas a haven for leaders of Hamas and other terrorist groups --
the chief reason his country is kept on the official U.S. list of
terrorist nations.
Secretary of State Warren Christopher acknowledged that the issue
remains a sticking point between the United States and Syria. "The
allegation is not that the Syrian government itself engages in terrorism,
but they do provide some
comfort (to terrorists) by providing a place for them to be,"he said.
"We're going to continue to press that."
In Saudi Arabia, where Clinton is scheduled to make a brief stop today,
the royal family has repeatedly assured the United States that it is not
sending any official money to Hamas. But government officials have warned
that they don't believe they can do much to stop private fund raising for
the militants.
Much of the money raised among wealthy Hamas sympathizers in Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait and other Persian Gulf states is ostensibly for charitable
purposes such as the schools and medical clinics that Hamas runs in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. But U.S. officials charge that some of the money
ends up supporting terrorist activities.
"We understand that there are limits on any government's ability to
stop private fund raising. We have the same problem here in the United
States," one official said. "But there are some things the Saudis can do."
He said Saudi citizens have funded paramilitary training camps for
Islamic militants, reportedly including some Hamas members, in Yemen,
Sudan and Afghanistan.
Christopher is expected to bring the issue up in ameeting today with Saudi
Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Saud al Faisal. Official said it is not
clear whether Clinton will mention the problem when he sees King Fahd.
Even if Syria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait could stop all support for Hamas
from their territory, the terrorist group would still survive, U.S.
officials acknowledge.
For one thing, Hamas raises money from private sympathizers in several
other countries -- including the United States, which Israeli officials
charge is the group's main base of operation outside the Middle East.
Hamas also relies on donations from grass-roots adherents in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, where mostof its members live. And the group reportedly
has received millions of dollars in subsidies from the radical Islamic
government of Iran.
The Clinton Administration has vowed to redouble efforts by the FBI to
determine whether Hamas has engaged in any illegal fund raising or other
actionsin the United States, and will encourage the Saudis to do likewise,
officials said.
The Administration has created a new "inter-agency group" to look at
the problem, and it met in Washington this week for the first time,
officials said.
The group plans to determine whether new laws are needed to make it
easier toprosecute supporters of overseas terrorists, and to see whether
laws now on the books can be enforced more diligently.
Senior officials noted that the crime bill passed by Congress in August
includes a section that makes it a crime to "knowingly" raise funds for
terrorist operations. The previous law did not have such a requirement,
and was difficult to enforce because it was open to challenge on
constitutional grounds,they said.
Earlier this week, U.S. ambassadors around the Middle East asked all
Arab governments to issue public condemnations of Hamas.
McManus reported from Washington and Lauter from Damascus. |
