The Bin Laden/Saudi flights

May 20, 2004

Stonewalling on Bin Laden/Saudi Flights After 9/11

With questions swirling about who authorized allowing relatives of Osama bin Laden to fly out of the country immediately after 9/11, The Hill newspaper is reporting that President Bush is "refusing to answer repeated requests by the September 11 commission" about the matter1.

Last year, Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged that, even as all foreign and domestic flights were grounded after 9/11, the bin Ladens and other wealthy Saudis were allowed to fly out of the United States. He said that "the flights were well-known and it was coordinated within the government"2.

Yet now, even as White House officials claim that "the [P]resident has fully cooperated with this commission in an unprecedented way"3, the panel vice chairman Lee Hamilton disclosed that the Administration is refusing to answer any questions on the subject -- even in closed-door meetings with Senators4. The President is also still refusing to release 28 pages of the bipartisan 9/11 congressional report about the Saudi Government. That report is known to "depict a Saudi government that not only provided significant money and aid to the suicide hijackers but also allowed potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to flow to Al Qaeda"5. Some of that money may have even flowed through Riggs Bank6, where the President's uncle7 (and major fundraiser8) is a top executive. Nonetheless, the President continues to refer to the Saudi government as "our friend"9.

Sources:

1. "Who let bin Ladens leave U.S.?", The Hill, 05/18/2004.
   
2. Interview on NBC's Meet the Press With Tim Russert, 09/07/2003.
   
3. Meet The Press transcript, 04/04/2004.
   
4. "Who let bin Ladens leave U.S.?", The Hill, 05/18/2004.
   
5. "Saudi Government Provided Aid to 9/11 Hijackers, Sources Say", Los Angeles Times, 08/02/2003.
   
6. Riggs Press Release, 05/31/2000.
   
7. Riggs Press Release, 05/31/2000.
   
8. Texans for Public Justice.
   
9. President Bush Vows to Bring Terrorists to Justice, 05/16/2003.

[crawjo]

I think in this context it is important to remember that OPEC is meeting to discuss increasing oil production (which would thus bring down the price of gas) and the Saudis are pushing for an increase. I imagine that Bush doesn't want to release anything that would publicly embarrass the Saudis and thus cause gas prices to rise further.

It probably goes deeper than that--remember that there is a long-standing, close association between the Bush family and the royal Saudis.

[RBS]

Thanks for posting this. This is the story I've been waiting for.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

Maybe the info will be released after the election?

Hell, Prince Bandar's practically a Bush family member from what I hear.

[crawjo]

Perhaps Prince Bandar promised Bush the finest meats, cheeses, and pretzels if he kept that section of the report quiet.