or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
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"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
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"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
February 15, 2008
Our Dear Friends The Saudis
As you may recall, Tony Blair squelched a British investigation into allegations of massive bribery of Saudi royals by British aerospace giant BAE. Here's why:
Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.Previously secret files describe how investigators were told they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they pressed on with their inquiries and the Saudis carried out their threat to cut off intelligence.
Prince Bandar, the head of the Saudi national security council, and son of the crown prince, was alleged in court to be the man behind the threats to hold back information about suicide bombers and terrorists. He faces accusations that he himself took more than £1bn in secret payments from the arms company BAE.
He was accused in yesterday's high court hearings of flying to London in December 2006 and uttering threats which made the prime minister, Tony Blair, force an end to the Serious Fraud Office investigation into bribery allegations involving Bandar and his family.
Everyone in these circles is such good friends:
...for two decades, Bandar had built an intimate personal relationship with the Bush family that went far beyond a mere political friendship...Bandar and the elder Bush had participated in the shared rituals of manhood -- hunting trips, vacations together, and the like...In charitable contributions alone, the Saudis gave at least $3.5 million to Bush charities -- $1 million by Prince Bandar to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum...and a $1 million painting from Prince Bandar to George W. Bush's White House.
A visit in the early nineties to the summer home of George H.W. Bush, in Kennebunkport, Maine, earned the prince the affectionate family sobriquet "Bandar Bush."
I for one think it's disgusting when politicians cozy up to some of the world's biggest criminals. You have to wonder: what is Bandar thinking?
—Jonathan Schwarz
Posted at February 15, 2008 02:45 PMThe link at "Here's why" is gerbrokened.
EXACTLY!
Posted by: Mike Meyer at February 15, 2008 03:20 PM"had participated in the shared rituals of manhood"
So, did they share a Moyle (or Mohel) for the earliest and perhaps most painful of those male rituals? Maybe that classy and expensive one on the Upper East Side? You don't have to be Jewish to wear a tailor-made dick. Would be so deliciously embarrassing.
As I might say, if I had kept my Kissingerian accent: "And diss iz our Elite?!"
Posted by: donescobar at February 15, 2008 03:28 PMMakes you wonder if attacks on U.S. soil are in the offing once Bush leaves office, i.e., "This didn't happen when the GOP ran the White House".
The sonsofbitches Big Lied this nation into unleashing war. There is no crime too wicked that they will not commit.
Posted by: JW at February 15, 2008 05:09 PMI'm with JW. Except, I'm not convinced it won't happen even before. Another terrorist attack, W's declares martial Law and cancels elections until it is safe again.
Posted by: Dee Loralei at February 15, 2008 08:01 PMWhat Bandar is thinking?
"It's either my oil money now, or my ass later."
That's what.
Posted by: En Ming Hee at February 15, 2008 08:24 PMSigh.
Ya know, if you read Bin Laden's actual interviews and known texts (The Statements of Osama Bin Laden, edited by Bruce Lawrence, published by Verso is the best collection I know of) you'll see that Bin Laden took a lot of shit by the Bush family quite personally. He goes into some detail about the Bush family and discusses at length post-oil crisis CIA operations run by Poppy against various Saudi princes, Kissinger's involvement in Saudi politics, and Poppy's trip to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of his presidency. I can't remember if he discusses Zapata and Harken as fronts or not but he does nail 43 a couple of times and, perhaps, mentions Barbara. IIRC, he mentions that one of his brothers died in a strange accident in Texas just before or after visiting the Bush family. He takes it all quite personally and specifically blames the Bush family for the Saudi dictatorship and a host of other evils.
I've always wondered if one reason the administration freaked out about the 9/11 audio evidence, spirited the Bin Laden family out of the country, and hide the traces of the hijacker's lives in the US is because one or more of them got on the radio and said "That first tower was for poppy, you asshole, and the second tower is for his little shit of a son. Take that you dickhead Bush family!" Or, perhaps, there was a threat or a warning that said "Remember that business back in 1977? Well, it's going to come back to haunt you! Tell Kissinger hello!"
Concerning the Saudi royal family and presidential libraries, does anyone know whether large monetary donations have been given for other presidents? I seem to recall that the donation to GHWB's library was part of a longstanding trend.
Posted by: bluestate leftist at February 16, 2008 06:27 PM"This is supposed to be a happy occasion! Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who..."
Posted by: Monkay at February 17, 2008 12:37 AM
