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Saudis say thanks, but no thanks to Bush dinner.

The Washington Post’s Jim Hoagland reports that the Saudis recently rejected an offer to attend a White House state dinner with President Bush. Prince Bandar, “the Saudi national security adviser, flew to Washington last week to explain to Bush that April 17 posed a scheduling problem. ‘It is not convenient’ was the way it was put, says one official.”

UPDATE: One day later: “The king of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, condemned the presence of American forces in Iraq as an ‘illegitimate foreign occupation‘ in a speech today, and said the withholding of aid to Palestinians should end.”



62 Responses to “Saudis say thanks, but no thanks to Bush dinner.”

  1. ForTruth says:

    My boss doesn’t always have time either.


  2. chuck feeney says:

  3. TripMaster Monkey says:

    Well, look on the bright side, Chimpy. Now, when your war with Iran runs over, you won’t have to call Bandar and cancel.


  4. lw says:

    It would be unseemly to be having dinner with Bush while he was busy attacking neighboring Iran.


  5. Saywho says:

    I was under the impression that the Saudi King Abdullah said this today, “In beloved Iraq, blood is being shed among brothers in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and ugly sectarianism threatens civil war.”


  6. Cappy says:

    Bush probably said, “C’mon, we’re gonna have a pigroast!”


  7. Rebel in CA says:

    Even the long-time family friends are bailing on Shrub. Soon it will be only him and Barney-the-dog at the dinner table.


  8. Saywho says:

    So I take it that the friendship is over


  9. RUCerious says:

    ‘It is not convenient’ was the way it was put,

    Translated:

    Up yours.


  10. trueblue says:

    Oh, no.

    Of course it has nothing to do with Iran

    Not good.


  11. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    Of course it’s not convenient… Bandar’s calendars has him handing over money to the Sunni insurgents in Iraq on that date.


  12. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    Rebel in CA – boy Bush may not even be able to count on Barney much longer… we all know Barney is looking for his chance to escape.


  13. Heynow says:

    Now the repercussions are coming for losing the “Iraq War”.


  14. dlet says:

    ‘It is not convenient’

    Break ups are tough.

    A wanna-be fascist regime being dissed by a totalitarian ultra-religious monarchy.


  15. Saywho says:

    Folks,
    On another site they posted a news article that is GIANT all things considered. Saudia Arabia is dumping the USA…
    http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/03/28/130/


  16. RUCerious says:

    In a side bar, Abdullah also told the chymp to tell Cheney to go Fu(k himself.


  17. Namtillaku says:

    LOL, isn’t this the Bandar that George senior refers to as ‘Bandar Bush’, as he’s SO close to the Bush family?


  18. Namtillaku says:

    Oh, nevermind, I must have been referring to ” PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL-SAUD, EXECUTIVE POLICY ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT”.

    http://www.whitehouse.org/ask/bandar.asp


  19. CoffinsDrapedWithFlags says:

    #15 – Saywho…

    Oh my, does that mean gas prices will go up? How dare SA lay claim to the US oil.


  20. unbelievable says:

    Face it George, they used you… Like a drunken sorority girl… And now that they are done, they won’t be calling you anymore.


  21. Bluedog49 says:

    Maybe now it would be “convenient” for democrats in congress to revisit where the 15 Saudis who attacked us on 9-11 got their financing and why Saudis were allowed to leave the country so quickly after the attack


  22. . says:

    Saudi king slams ‘illegitimate occupation’ of Iraq
    3/28

    “In the past, Saudi leaders including foreign minister Prince Saud Al Faisal have often criticized US policy in Iraq but have never described its presence there as “illegitimate.”
    If Arab leaders recover trust in each other and regain their credibility, “the winds of hope will blow on the nation, and then, we will not allow forces from outside the region to determine the future of the region, and only the flag of Arabism will be raised on Arab soil,” Abdullah said.”

    http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070328-083228-3225r


  23. Saywho says:

    #19 Yes it looks that way.


  24. Marlow says:

    The Saudis are walking away from the world’s smallest cowboy, who in turn will walk away from the GOP after he crash lands it in ‘08. Just another flaming wreck from a man who creates nothing but flaming wrecks. Welcome to Wingnut airlines, all aboard that’s goin’ aboard!


  25. From Canada says:

    Just one more country dumping Bush!


  26. ForTruth says:

    Hard to believe the Saudi’s would dump the USA, we brought them out of the desert into palaces and we keep paying for thier oil.


  27. From Canada says:

    #26 The Saudis are not dumping the USA, just Bush. But it’s true he is there until Jan’09


  28. Saywho says:

    #26 Dude Saudia Arabia is running out of oil so the price is going up like it or not. We moved all of the bases to Iraq so that we can be closer to the pumps. Iran is next. OPEC is shifting to the Euro and are bucks are not worth the paper they are printed on.


  29. Marie says:

    Does this cancellation have any connection to the Russian intel report that said the US plans to bomb Iran around April 8th?


  30. Marie says:

    If Bushie has lost support from the long-time Bush family friends, he is in deep trouble.


  31. Heinz Baked Beans Boycot says:

    Bush is snubbed by every country, he cannot go to any country in the world without a riot, The most disliked president ever and most disliked person ever in the history of the planet

    I rest my case

    pick a human next time not an animal


  32. peterh says:

    Bush: Dang….no one wants to hold my hand anymore…./kicks pebble…..


  33. Namtillaku says:

    It’s one thing to be against the administration, and their ramp up to war with Iran, another thing entirely to be a conspiracy theorist. Have any CREDIBLE information there Marie, other than your post of course?


  34. Gerald Gibson Jr says:

    Hard to believe the Saudi’s would dump the USA, we brought them out of the desert into palaces and we keep paying for thier oil.

    Comment by ForTruth

    Considering their people look to Osama as a hero… and their religious leaders preach hate of all non Wahabists … and they resent the royals relationship with the west….

    Not so hard to believe. Kings have been killed for less in the past.


  35. . says:

    Gulf Arabs distance themselves from U.S. threats against Iran

    3/28

    The president of the United Arab Emirates forbade the U.S. military from using bases in his country to attack or spy on Iran as mammoth U.S. Navy maneuvers in the Gulf entered their second day.

    http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/28/africa/ME-GEN-Arabs-US-Iran.php


  36. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    You all might remember Cheney being summoned to Saudi Arabia last November, and the indications were that he was chewed out by the King at that time. They were afraid we were going to withdraw our troops, and that the Sunni’s would be left high and dry. At that time, they threatened to support the Sunnis (as if they aren’t already). The situation must have deteriorated further since then, since apparently, the U.S. is increasingly too cozy with the Shite faction and it seems to the Sauds we’ve picked one side (the Shia) over the other (the Sunni).


  37. Saywho says:

    Things are going to get super bad. In the US we will see shortages of various things and energy will be our Achilles’ heel


  38. Marie says:

    I think you’re right, impeachcheneythenbush
    and while I don’t think the following note played a role because of the timing of it, I think the circumstances of it are influential.
    The Iraqi police – trained and supported and equipped by the USA – massacred 45 Sunni Muslims this morning.
    That doesn’t portend well for the future of our presence in Iraq, nor for future relations with Iraq and Saudi Arabia.


  39. sara swati says:

    The Bushs are beholdin’ to the Saudis. He must continue war in Iraq in order to secure the oil. Something really bad is going to happen to the lil’ shrub if he looses the oil. that’s why he’s so nervous. Maybe his head will explode if he gets any angrier.


  40. Juan C says:

    What? No more french kisses?


  41. veritas says:

    Prince Bandar Bush declined a dinner invitation by his blood brother Dumbya? Now that’s fascinating! Of course, Dumbko is trying to cater to his father’s Saudi buddies….now let’s find out how those Saudi’s got out of the country following 9/11 when airspace was ostensibly closed???? Any guesses??


  42. paland says:

    Things are going to get super bad. In the US we will see shortages of various things and energy will be our Achilles’ heel

    Comment by Saywho — March 28, 2007 @ 6:41 pm

    You are so right on this. We are going to see a great die off on this planet within the next twenty years. As much as 80%. As for the near future, look for gas to go thru the roof and rationing start. Even worse than it was back in the 70’s. Does anyone remember those days?


  43. veritas says:

    Of course, we’ve known that the pretenses (outright lies) used to invade a sovereign country and depose it’s dictator was ONLY about the oil! Everyone now knows that fact. And since it’s always been about the oil, we need to know who’s pockets are getting filled with the profits? Surely, via payoffs and Haliburton the Dick is feathering his personal nest. And the Bush Family has always been about oil….case in point, Bush purchases mega property in foreign country recently putting it in Jenna’s name…(ahem!). We all know that on 9/10 old codger Pappy (#41) was in NY for a meeting of his drug (scratch that) oil cartel called The Carlysle Group. Let’s check out Pappy’s connections to this Saudi group…..and then while we’re at it…why not check Dubya’s business buddies out a tad further…like Mahfouz BinLaden who was his partner in Arbusto Energy….and then bailed him out of his Harken Energy stock. Would it be any wonder why a sheer litany of warnings about being attacked by AQ might “out” some of this president’s connections to it all?

    Such webs he’s woven….some from which he will never be released.


  44. Juan C says:

    Things are going to get super bad. In the US we will see shortages of various things and energy will be our Achilles’ heel
    Comment by Saywho

    You know what? I dont think so. US is the mob and Arabia is the rich guy. They will understand themselves in the future. Thats what all gangster states do all the time.


  45. Zooey says:

    What? No more french kisses?
    Comment by Juan C

    Juan, why do you hate french kisses? :D


  46. tom baker says:

    If the Saudis start banking in Euros, the entire Bush dynasty will collapse, as will some other petrogarchical american family empires. Even Rev. Moon doesn’t have enough money to keep those spoiled courtesans on retainer forever if he’s picking up the full tab.

    Though we’d still have plenty of obstacles to overcome, having our politics free of the influence of crazycracker Texas oil tycoons for the first time in 100 years would be kinda nice.


  47. paland says:

    You know what? I dont think so. US is the mob and Arabia is the rich guy. They will understand themselves in the future. Thats what all gangster states do all the time.

    Comment by Juan C — March 28, 2007 @ 7:32 pm

    Juan, we are at peak oil right now. Cantarell in Mexico has had a drastic fall of of output just in the last 18 months, and Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil field, has had an 8% drop in just the last year. If you read about Hubble’s peak (google it) you will find some scary information. Have you noticed how the price has just been going up latety? And we aren’t even near the summer season yet. Watch gas go to $4.00 in Calif before the summer even hits. And $5-6 by Summer 2008. Then it will get really bad.


  48. paland says:

    OK, a good search of Hubble’s Peak didnt show much. Check this site out. It will show some good info and has some pro’s discussing it.

    http://www.theoildrum.com/


  49. Yachts and Lattes says:

    That would be one of your allies in the War on Terra, there. You know, the one from which the vast majority of the 9/11 hijackers came.


  50. Deniz Yeter says:

    #1, amazing

    Exactly what I thought, but who knows how his new boss will treat our beloved empire


  51. Jackie says:

    As the Saudi Kings says not money no friendship get the hell out of Iraq.
    Bush pretty much kissed his butt and Cheney was summoned like a dog to it’s master after the Nov7th election. It was so funny as vacation for Thanksgiving going on Cheney had to take his butt to the Saudi King or else. He took his bad heart and bad leg and got there as he was told. Now that the Congress wont rubber stamp the free money the Saudi King doesn’t need George/Cheney any more. Next the Saudi King will ask the US to pay back the loan that the Bush Administration took. Then China will ask for their loan to the US to be paid back. We haven’t see anything yet as the White House falls we’ll see all the back room deals come to light and it’s all about money and oil.


  52. Saywho says:

    #48 Hubbert’s Peak (odds are we passed peak at around 2001)…

    There is more to things than M. King Hubbert. Our leader wants to STEAL the resources of the Middle East. I see this Saudi situation as the true end of the USA. Since we make nothing and lack resources we will not be able to transition our country. No resources then no crops…

    Look at all things since 9-11 and ask, “OK no WMD, Saddam didn’t do it, 700,000 dead, etc. WHY?” Cheney and the rest had the big oil meeting and then we heard it several times. “We are running out of energy!”

    We can’t just walk up and take the oil so a plan was implemented to create misdirection so we could start CONTROLING the oil. Don’t forget that each active US battle group consumes around 6MILLION barrels a day. On a regular day the world uses 85MILLION a day.

    Without OIL our money has ZERO VALUE so I would contend that Bush intends to set up shop in MESOPATIMIA (Iraq) and has no intent to bay back any debt. Essentially we are going SUPER OLD SCHOOL and are going to have to fight. Bush intends to fight against a people and culture that defeated the British many times. T. E. Lawrence commented about the Arabs and mentioned that they were fierce, cunning and the natives.

    The Saudis may be on the verge of creating a “Super OPEC” We are looking down the barrel at WW3 and it is too bad that that is an oil barrel.


  53. KYJurisDoctor says:

    With friends like the King, who needs enemies?

    Visit: http;//OsiSpeaks.com or http://OsiSpeaks.org


  54. junior birdman says:

    Remind me again :

    How many of the September 11 Terrorist Hijackers were Saudi Arabian ???

    15 of the 19 you say ??

    thank you.


  55. Grouchy’s Liberaltopiaâ„¢ » Saluting The Chimperor in Chief says:

    [...] the hell not? Even the Saudis are telling Chimpy to fuck off and hang.   • • [...]


  56. junior birdman says:

    will usa invade and occupy Saudi Arabia when the Saudis cut off OIL shipments to the usa ??

    bawhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


  57. Raymond Funamoto says:

    Saudi Saying: “WITH FRIENDS LIKE CHIMPya, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES….OR IS THAT AN ENEMA?????”


  58. Saywho says:

    #55 It will demand Euro Dollars and no we can not invade SA since we have a small army and would need a draft to build up. Thusly we are headed for a depression that will simply get worse and never end.


  59. AmandaBlow says:

    If I would have known that GOD WOULD MAKE SUCH A LOUSY NEOCON i wouldn’t have voted for G W Bush!


  60. Evil Spaniard says:

    Of course, Saudis don’t eat with pigs.


  61. patrick lim says:

    # 37: Things are going to get super bad. In the US we will see shortages of various things and energy will be our Achilles’ heel — Comment by Saywho — March 28, 2007 @ 6:41 pm

    Half of the world’s population lives on less than US$2 per day. — it wouldn’t be that bad if America learns to tighten its belt a bit.


  62. Saywho says:

    #60 In the US workers living in rural areas will be most damaged. Whatever it is we built on the way up will be destroyed on the way down. There are two types mechanisms that come into play…

    1) Demand Destruction = Rising prices can eliminate entire classes of consumers. The poor feel everything the most, hardest and longest. The wealthy are inconvenienced but are still able to obtain the energy.

    2) Shortages = The desired energy source is not available to meet the demand at any price.

    At this time we are in the demand destruction phase of energy distribution. Soon enough we will ration energy. Since no alternative energy can make up for the shortfall the USA will be forced into what amounts to a Feudal Lord System of government. We simply will not be able to feed the entire population since the first resource we are losing is NG and that is critical to making fertilizer.

    Try to imagine all of our systems working correctly and then any one of the inputs are removed and the whole thing crashes down. Once we get to “black-outs” all bets are off. Computers, elevators, refrigerators, air conditioning, communication and all the rest will fail. In the end we will face literal destruction in an attempt to reduce demand not reduced during demand destruction.

    Riots, civil war, starvation, disease, etc. will be the result since everything we do at this moment depends on OIL. Currently 26% of America is in poverty. This number is now growing as the economy falters.



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