The US government has said it is happy with their "cooperation."
Of course, this means that, because the Saudis have agreed to "share information" in the American attempts to track down terrorists, that our government is presumably happy with what little cooperation they are receiving. Which is practically none at all.
Remember, Osama Bin Laden is a Saudi Arabian. His great hatred toward the US stems from his fundamental (and extreme) Islamic outrage that our military forces (the infidels) are on "holy Saudi soil," thus defiling the "most sacred soil on earth." Bin Laden hates the "corrupt" Saudi Government.
Bin Laden returned to his native Saudi Arabia following the protracted Soviet-Afghan war, where he was active among the mujahadeen. As the son of a billionaire, Bin Laden’s voice was raised in outrage against the "corrupt" government, especially because the royal family had allowed the US to use Saudi bases in the war against Iraq. Eventually, Bin Laden was briefly placed under arrest for his strident accusations against the government, and he later fled to Sudan.
Bin Laden’s financial empire extends to communications, aerospace, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, aviation, and dozens of other business interests. It is known that one major company which has launched spy satellites has ties to Bin Laden, and that information obtained from just such sources may well have been used in following the movements of Air Force 1 during the September 11th attack. Thus, this Saudi multi-millionaire actually is able to command a network of activists from dozens of pursuits; has more power at his fingertips than any number of nations!
The house of Saud finds itself astride an uncomfortable fence. While it covets US dollars, it abhors US support for Israel. Saudi Arabia joined with other Arab states in the wars against Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973. It has sent hundreds of millions to fellow Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and the Palestinians. King Fahd’s half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah, is the active head of state. Like so many so-called "moderate" Arab states, Abdullah finds himself ruling over a restive population of 100% Muslims, many of which are fanatically devout. The two "holiest" places to the Islamic religion are Mecca and Medina, both within Saudi Arabia.
It is the duty of every Moslem to make at least once in his lifetime a "pilgrimage" (a "hejirah," following which the males may attach the name "haj" to their names, indicating that they have made such a trip). During the month of July in 1990, some 1,426 Islamic pilgrims were trampled to death when panic broke out in a pedestrian tunnel leading to Mecca. As recently as 1997, when hundreds of thousands were encamped in a vast tent city, intent upon making their circuitous course around their famous "kaaba" or black rock, more than 340 were killed when a fire broke out.
The decision recently announced by the Saudi government, preventing the US from using Saudi air bases, must be viewed in the light of the foregoing facts. Abdullah sits astride a potentially unstable throne. His task is equally difficult as the US one; how to appear to help an important friend and customer on the one hand, and not alienate a volatile, potentially dangerous population on the other. The previous king played a leading role in imposing the oil embargo against the US and the West following the 1973 "Yom Kippur" war.
When terrorists killed 7 by a truck bomb in Riyadh, the capital, on November 13, 1995, and when 19 Americans were killed in a similar attack at their base in Dhahran in June, 1996, the Saudis were not forthcoming in helping the US track down and punish the terrorists.
The US government has often chided the Saudis for such failure. With such a record, why should they expect the Saudis to cooperate now?
This announcement by the Saudi government shows us how difficult, if not virtually impossible, it will be to wage and ultimately win a war against terrorists! They represent a religion, or the perversion of a religion, and not any nation. They are to be found in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Crete, Cyprus, and Afghanistan, along with cells operating in the United States, Britain, Germany, Holland, Spain, France, and many other countries. In short, they are here and there around the world, and they are among us!
Hate crimes against those of Middle Eastern origin, or those who "look like" they may be of such origins are equally as evil as the crimes of terrorists against innocent victims! Yet, today in America, many second-generation Arab Americans from many such nations must live in apprehension; aware of glances of suspicion, if not outright hatred; aware that they could be the object of a hate crime, just as was a poor black man in Jasper, Texas, who was dragged to death by white cowards who so brutally murdered him simply because of the color of his skin.
Amid all the hate and fear, it is time for any person laying the slightest claim to being an "American" or being a "Christian" to reject such emotions, and instead turn to the teachings of Jesus Christ!
Can any of His teachings surpass His famous "Sermon on the Mount?" He said, " Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
Millions of us deeply MOURN the victims and their families; mourn for the brave firemen and policemen who rushed to help, and lost their lives as a result! God hears our cries, and he sees our tears of sorrow. Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:3-12).
As never before, God Almighty is holding open a "window of opportunity" for our peoples to turn to HIM in our hour of need! God KNOWS where Bin Laden is. He KNOWS each and every one of the terrorists! He knows who they are, and where they are; what they are thinking; what they plan to do. We can know almost NONE of these things, and we certainly can not lean on a "broken reed" like some of our so-called "allies" in the Middle East.
God says, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:6-9).
In a time of uncertainty, God;’s people must not respond to fear. They certainly must not hand the terrorists a win, by giving in to terror!
Coming soon: an article answering the question: "What should we do?"
