Meme- Re: A most provocative article.
Interesting read, thanks. The following article may shed some light as to why we fail to recognize the Saudi role.
htxp://www.judicialwatch.org/press_release.asp?pr_id=1624
WALL STREET JOURNAL: BUSH SR. IN
BUSINESS WITH BIN LADEN FAMILY
CONGLOMERATE THROUGH CARLYLE GROUP
FAMILY HAD RENOUNCED TIES TO TERRORIST
SON BUT FAMILY STILL UNDER FBI
INVESTIGATION
FATHER OF PRESIDENT SHOULD PULL OUT OF INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTING FIRM
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm
that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and
abuse, reacted with disbelief to The Wall Street Journal report of
yesterday that George H.W. Bush, the father of President Bush,
works for the bin Laden family business in Saudi Arabia through the
Carlyle Group, an international consulting firm. The senior Bush had
met with the bin Laden family at least twice. (Other top
Republicans are also associated with the Carlyle group, such as
former Secretary of State James A. Baker.) The terrorist leader
Osama bin Laden had supposedly been “disowned” by his family,
which runs a multi-billion dollar business in Saudi Arabia and is a
major investor in the senior Bush’s firm. Other reports have
questioned, though, whether members of his Saudi family have
truly cut off Osama bin Laden. Indeed, the Journal also reported
yesterday that the FBI has subpoenaed the bin Laden family
business’s bank records.
Judicial Watch earlier this year had strongly criticized President
Bush’s father’s association with the Carlyle Group, pointing out in a
March 5 statement that it was a “conflict of interest (which) could
cause problems for America’s foreign policy in Middle East and
Asia.” Judicial Watch called for the senior Bush to resign from the
firm then.
“This conflict of interest has now turned into a scandal. The idea
of the President’s father, an ex-president himself, doing business
with a company under investigation by the FBI in the terror
attacks of September 11 is horrible. President Bush should not ask,
but demand, that his father pull out of the Carlyle Group,” stated
Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
“This has the potential of making ‘Billygate’ (Jimmy Carter’s
brother’s dealings with Libya) look like small potatoes,” added
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
See "Bin Laden Family Could Profit From a Jump In Defense
Spending Due to Ties to U.S. Bank," by Daniel Golden, James
Bandler, and Marcus Walker, The Wall Street Journal, 9/28/01
(www.wsj.com, subscription required).
