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| Arabia |
| Saudi intelligence sharing ‘has saved American lives,’ former Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend tells Arab News |
| 2018-03-23 |
| [ARABNEWS] The strength of the US counterterrorism relationship with Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... "rivals" that with its historic ally the UK ‐ although this has yet to register with the American public, a former homeland security adviser told Arab News. Information provided by the Kingdom has prevented several terror attacks and helped save American lives, said La Belle Frances Townsend, who worked in the administration of former US President George W. Bush. Saudi Arabia has stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the Americans in combating terrorism, Townsend said. "This relationship has developed in terms of counterterrorism ‐ in particular, information sharing and intelligence sharing ‐ which from the United States’ point of view rivals (what we share with) Britannia, our longest historic ally," she said. "We have a critical information and intelligence-sharing relationship that is almost unparalleled with any of our other partners She cited two terror plots that were prevented specifically due to intelligence from Saudi Arabia. "The intelligence exchange between Saudi and American officials has saved American lives," Townsend said. "It is a very important ... partnership. It is critical to protecting the American homeland." Yet this is not something recognized by many Americans, who are still acutely aware that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the 9/11 terror attacks were Saudi citizens, Townsend said. With King Salman and Prince MBS, it's pretty obvious the Saudis are trying to back gracefully out of the web of mistakes they've made as a country after their creation turned on them. They pretty much own Salafism and its multiple mutations, just like Qatar owns the Moslem Brotherhood and Pakistain owns the bulk of South (and probably Central) Asian terrorism. They can't say "Oh, yeah, we were doing it as matter of national policy but we've stopped now." You simply don't lose that kind of diplomatic face. Instead, they have to quietly shut down the funding channels and quietly back away, covering as many tracks as possible. All the while there's the danger of a counter-revolution by the Holy Men and the True Believers. All is not as stable as it seems on the surface, we can take that for granted. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Except the 9-11 memo where they help fund a handful of the rebels! |
| Posted by: Vespasian Glomoter2762 2018-03-23 07:08 |