To: re3 who wrote (19107 ) 5/14/2003 10:51:03 AM From: Jim Willie CB Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 89467 update from my Pakistani buddy at work on Middle East my man Ahmad was born and raised in Karachi Pakistan he moved to Riyadh Saudi Arabia when a young teen he came to the USA for college, and has stayed since then he has no accent, bright as hell, and is a fair man he is fluent in both Urdu and Arabic he has taught me much he said before, "either US Forces move toward Syria and Egypt, or toward Iran and Pakistan" now he has concluded we will shift our adventures east toward Iran and Pakistan we discussed the why's and wherefore's the gain in going west is small, since no oil in either Syria or Egpyt the cost in going west is huge, with Syria housing Hamas and HezBollah, both lethal groups with a long deadly track record, not to mention the cultural center Cairo being a hotbed of Islamic maintstream and extremist thought the gain in going east is huge, since much oil in Iran, and we might intercept delivery of the nuke by Pakistan to Islamics the cost in going east is moderate, since Iran's army is powderpuff, but Paki has 120 million people and that would be messy indeed to rid their country of "terrorists" when I asked specifics about his knowledge inside Iran, and internal affection & loyalties, he said perhaps 70-75% of Iranian citizens do not want an Islamic Republic with a ruling ayatollah and mullahs he believes most Iranians greatly dislike the harsh Islamic law onto to Saudi... he said "shit has finally hit the fan" in Saudi he and I have each expected this for a long time he said it is widely known, widely expected, and very much anticipated that the House of Saud will fall from their corrupt monarchy ruling Saudi Arabia he has thought that King Faisal (more pro Islamic) took over from King Fahd long ago he regards them as criminals, lazy, debauched, and somewhat lackeys to the west, having sold out long ago he thinks the day is sooner than most believe for a regime change there he believes of the 5000 or so extended royal family members, with their 2000 princes, about 50-50 would like to see an Islamic Republic installed in Saudi Arabia he believes the great majority of extended royal family members do NOT contribute money to Al Qaeda, nor approved of their actions, since AlQ represents a tremendous threat to the House of Saud and their opulent way of life he believes perhaps a 5% extreme fringe among the extended royals contribute to AlQ, and do so in large amounts he said the US Military was kicked out of Prince Sultan Airfield, no question about it he guesses that USGovt was warned if they attack Iraq, they must get the hell out of Saudi Arabia but US press & media put a positive spin of "voluntary departure" on the event our presence has been a large destablizing force to King Faisal he believes our current occupation of Iraq will serve as an equivalent, and perhaps greater, destabilizing force both to the Saudi Arabia regime and the region generally Ahmad believes the USGovt intends to take over the entire oil-rich Middle East region, to manage its production, to ensure its availability to free markets, and to administer the wealth to the resident population much like a beneficent dictator but the cost will be escalating violence, continued terrorist attacks, and resumption of attacks on US soil soon, very soon / jim