As always, a great Mark Steyn, but this paragraph was very interesting:
Here’s an easy way to make an effective change: Less Wahhabism is in America’s interest. More Wahhabism is in the terrorists’ interest. So why can’t the United States introduce a policy whereby, for the duration of the war on terror, no organization directly funded by the Saudis will be eligible for any formal or informal role with any federal institution? That would also include the pro-Saudi Middle East Institute, whose “adjunct scholar” is one Joseph C. Wilson IV. Remember him? He’s the fellow at the center of the Bob-Novak-published-the-name-of-my-CIA-wife scandal. The agency sent him to look into the European intelligence stories about Saddam Hussein trying to buy uranium in Africa. He went to Niger, drank mint tea with government flacks, and then wrote a big whiny piece in the New York Times after the White House declined to accept his assurances there was nothing going on. He was never an intelligence specialist, he’s no longer a “career diplomat,” but he is, like so many other retired ambassadors, on the House of Saud’s payroll. And the Saudis were vehemently opposed to war with Saddam.
This is news to me- does anyone have any more information about Joseph Wilson working for the Saudi government?
scott h.
The connection is he works for the Middle East Institute (MEI), and the MEI receives funding from Saudi Arabia. Here’s an article on it.
Andrew | BYTE BACK
Sauds were against the war?
That’s news to Bush. Too many flaws.
Andrew Lazarus
By this logic, Bernard Lewis is out of business, because the Saudis fund a chair at Princeton’s Middle East Department (several other major universities too).
I remain mystified why “conservative” hacks keep making fun of Wilson’s intelligence mission (do you suppose he met with people it isn’t convenient to mention?) since his report was, we see now that we are in Iraq, CORRECT, and the reports championed by Steyn at all were 100% CRAP. Maybe Steyn’s preferred “intelligence” analysts should have spent more time drinking mint tea and less doing whatever drugs made them dream up the Saddam Nuke Threat. (A very bad LSD trip?)
Kimmitt
The idea is to distract from the felony assault on this nation’s security by sliming Wilson’s character.
Arash
Or how about Clinton? King Fahd donated $23 million to the University of Arkansas’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, shortly after Bill was elected to the White House.
John, if you knew just a little about the House of Sa’ud and Washington D.C., you’d know that former CIA directors, ex-Presidents, ex-members of Congress, ex-Cabinet members and yes, ex-ambassadors are taken care by the Saudis.
Imam Psycho Muhammed
Wyche Fowler, former Democratic senator from GA as well as former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is all up in that Saudi ass along with Smokin’ Joe Wilson.
I do not understand how Bernard Lewis and Joe Wilson’s positions are comparable. Lewis has never flacked for the Saudi’s regardless of the money Princeton received, Joe Lewis, on the other hand, damn near performed a diplomatic lewinsky on behalf of the Saudi’s and their wahabi interests. He did not, however, need kneepads like Geraldo Rivera did with Bill Clinton because undoubtedly Saudi sand must easy on the knees.
“I remain mystified why “conservative” hacks keep making fun of Wilson’s intelligence?” -Andrew Lazurus
Just a wee bit of fun Mo Dowd style, but then I completely understand how lefties can be mystified on a whole range of issues.