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From 'The Idler'
http://www.the-idler.com/IDLER-02/4-26.html
Bush's Saudi Appeasement: The Sins of His Father
By John LeBoutillier
Yesterday's meeting at the Western White House between President Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah was unprecedented in American history, not least because of a backdoor 'sandwich play' involving former President Bush.
The Saudis came over here two days ago with a plan to threaten the US into forcing Israel to accept a "Saudi Peace Plan" (actually a Saudi War Plan) that would create a Palestinian State based on the pre-1967 borders. Their threats, reminding many of Saudi responsibility for the 9-11 suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, were carefully laid out in a monumental New York Times front page story that yesterday set Washington afire.
Specifically, the Saudi threats were:
1) A potential Saudi cut-off of oil to the US;
2) throwing the US out of military bases in the Saudi kingdom;
3) embracing Saddam Hussein in a show of Arab unity;
4) embracing and adopting the philosophy of Osama bin Laden;
5) convening a Islamic leaders to decide future Muslim policy toward the USA.
And to complicate matters even further, according to Australian newspaper accounts Egypt now says they'd be willing to go to war with Israel --whatever happened to the Camp David Accords?-- if the rich Arabs would pony up $100 billion to pay for the war effort. And this from a so-called "moderate Arab state" to which the United States pays over $4 billion a year as a reward for peace.
Now, since yesterday's 5-hour meeting, Saudi spokesmen have denied these threats. But that is a typical Arab negotiating ploy, to float a threat and then deny making it.
In reality, the threats indeed were made and were heard loud and clear in the Bush White House.
No wonder the President had a shell-shocked, Dan Quayle, "deer in the headlights" look on his face when he met the press after the meeting. No wonder Prince Abdullah did not appear to answer questions. And no wonder the Washington Post today reports that the upper levels of the Bush Administration are hopelessly deadlocked over Middle East policy.
The most devious and telling part of the Saudi Plan has been to have two meetings -- both before and after meeting with the current President -- with former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. On Wednesday, the Saudi Ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar, flew to Texas specifically to lunch with the Bushes. Today, the Crown Prince is taking a private train trip to the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, to again meet with Bush I.
What on earth is going on in Texas?
The Saudis have figured out what few in our nation want to admit: Bush the Father is secretly running his son's foreign policy.
By cleverly surrounding Bush II with his aides and veterans -- like Cheney, Powell, Card, Rice and many more -- Bush I can influence his son's administration from behind the scenes. Those "in the know" realize that it is political death if they ever mention this reality. The Bushes "have a long memory", as Dick Cheney likes to remind people, in private.
As a result, Israel has much to worry about -- because Bush I and his Secretary of State James Baker (notorious among friends of Israel for declaring "F--- the Jews") are long-time anti-Israelites and recipients of petrodollars. In fact, Bush I's administration was probably the most hostile to Israel of any American Presidency, since Israel was created 54 years ago.
No wonder the Saudis are "sandwiching" their meeting with Bush II with a before-and-after meeting with Bush I. They are playing to their long-time oil and cash relationship with Bush I and especially withVice President Dick Cheney.
It is time for the American media and Congress to expose the inordinate influence Bush I and his inner circle -- including Saudi friend Brent Scrowcroft, patron of National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice -- plays in his novice-in-foreign policy son's administration.
And among Republicans and conservatives, many should worry that with Bush I running things, Bush II may face a fate similar to his father's: squandering astronomical poll ratings garnered because of initial handling of a Mid-East crisis -- and ending up a failed one term President, one who created deep divisions within his own party.
The Saudi visit has exposed this Bush's dependency on his father, as well as his weakness and vacillation in foreign policy.
And it may destroy his Presidency.
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