S3422 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 25, 2002 Carrie Lehman, and Jerry Ritter. They peace taken by the Crown Prince and would the Saudis expect us to say, have done a magnificent job. his nation and the contradictory be- though, were the roles reversed? What If I left anybody off the payroll, I havior that is prevalent in Saudi Ara- action would they demand of the Presi- apologize. bia and its policies. For example, in dent if in fact such vile lies were print- I congratulate my good friend, Sen- March the Saudi newspaper, Al-Riyadh, ed about Muslims and Saudis in an ator BINGAMAN, and Senator REID for carried a vile, anti-Semitic article by American paper? And what would the making this possible. someone claiming to be a professor. rest of the world have us say about The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The article resurrected the centuries- such slander, in a country where there ator from Nevada. old blood libel that civilized people is freedom of the press, the United f would have thought was a thing of the States? past. This Saudi professor, in a leading Another example of this disconnect MORNING BUSINESS Saudi newspaper, wrote for the Jewish that baffles me is the recent telethon, Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask holidays: ‘‘Blood must be taken from a ordered by King Fahd, which, accord- unanimous consent the Senate proceed non-Jew, dried, and mixed with dough ing to press reports, raised over $85 to a period of morning business, with to make pastries.’’ It goes on to say million for families of so-called Pales- Senators allowed to speak for a period that using human blood in pastries was tinian martyrs. According to the Saudi not to exceed 5 minutes each, with the a ‘‘well-established fact historically Government, these people are defined exception of Senator BIDEN, who wishes and legally throughout the history of as people ‘‘victimized by Israeli terror to speak for 20 minutes. mankind and that this was one of the and violence.’’ But in the common par- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without main reasons for the persecution of lance of the region, this term often re- objection, it is so ordered. Jews and the exile of Jews in Europe fers to suicide bombers. The Senator from Delaware. and Asia at different times.’’ In the aftermath of September 11, in f Finally, the article says: ‘‘The nee- which 15 Saudis engaged in the most deadly suicide attacks in history, one SAUDI ARABIA dles enter the body extremely slowly causing immense pain that gives the would hope the Saudi Government Mr. BIDEN. Madam President, today Jewish vampires extreme pleasure and might think twice before offering fi- the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they closely monitor this bloodletting nancial incentives for so-called mar- Prince Abdullah, met with President in detail with pleasure and enjoyment tyrdom. Bush in Crawford, TX. Based on the re- that is beyond comprehension.’’ Imagine if the President of the ports from that meeting, there were That is printed in a leading Saudi United States and the Members of the several items on the agenda, one of newspaper. The editor of that paper Congress contributed to a telethon for which was the conflict between the says that he was out of town when this someone who walked into a hotel in Ri- Israelis and Palestinians, and the other article appeared, and later wrote that yadh and killed 100 Muslims. What was the nature of the Saudi-U.S. bilat- it was unworthy of publication. would we say? What would we be ex- eral relationship. Forgive me if I have a hard time be- pected to say? What would we think? A report this morning in the New lieving that the article simply slipped What would happen if the President of York Times said that the Crown Prince through the cracks and that it was a the United States said: We condemn it, intended to deliver a ‘‘blunt message’’ fluke. I can believe many things about but we understand the frustration of to President Bush. Apparently, a Saudi Saudi Arabia, but freedom of the press the Saudi people, in having no democ- official indicated after that meeting is not one of them. This article was racy? We understand the frustration of that oil would not be used as a weapon. published because no one who saw it the Jewish people, being victims of sui- Earlier, an unnamed Saudi official said believed that it contained anything of- cide bombing? It would be an outrage, that we, the United States, may face a fensive or untrue. an outrage. And the whole world would ‘‘strategic debacle’’ unless we alter our Imagine the outrage in Riyadh, in say: Where is the moral leadership of relationship with Israel. Cairo, in Amman, in the United Na- the United States? There is nothing wrong with blunt tions, and elsewhere if a Jewish pro- But the Saudi support for the cult of messages and blunt talk between fessor published an article in an Amer- martyrdom is not restricted to offering friends. I am confident the President of ican paper saying that Muslim holiday financial incentives. Recently the the United States was equally blunt in feasts were prepared with the blood of Saudi Ambassador to the United King- the message he delivered. No doubt the ritualistically sacrificed Jews? Can dom wrote a poem entitled ‘‘The Mar- Crown Prince discussed ways to ad- anyone imagine what the Saudis would tyrs.’’ The poem appeared in Arabic vance his initiative with regard to expect of the President of the United language newspapers and praised Pales- Israel, a breakthrough that I publicly States, what the Saudis and the rest of tinian suicide bombers, particularly a stated several times in recent weeks the civilized world would rightly ex- young deranged Palestinian woman has not been fully appreciated by the pect of all United States Senators who from a refugee camp who killed herself world. had nothing to do with it being pub- and two Israelis on March 29. The Am- The Saudis had endorsed unani- lished, but saw it published? The civ- bassador refers to her as ‘‘the bride of mously at the Arab League meeting ilized world would demand of us, as loftiness.’’ last month in Beirut a plan that holds they would have a right to, that we, This is written by the Saudi Ambas- out hope for normal peaceful relations the leaders of this country, stand up sador to the United Kingdom. between Arab States and Israel. How- one at a time and disavow these vile, She embraces death with a smile ever, laying down that plan is not vile, vile diatribes. while the leaders are running away from enough. It is time for more mature What did people expect of us, and death . leadership. what did our President do, when a He goes on to say: We have been asked by the rest of the group of mostly Saudi citizens killed We complained to the idols of a white house world and the Crown Prince to take an thousands of Americans on the 11th? whose heart is filled with darkness. active role in supporting this plan. The President did the right thing. He Given the opportunity to renounce That is fine. However, I add, I hope the stood up and he said: This is not about this poem, a Saudi spokesman said on President discussed what active role Saudi Arabia, this is not about Mus- United States television: the Saudis should take in dealing with lims. He did the right thing. The ambassador is a very well known poet peace in the Middle East. When the I wonder what would have happened . he was expressing the anger and frustra- Crown Prince goes home, what con- had it been the reverse. I wonder what tion people feel. crete steps will he take to move the would happen. Give me a break. That is not good process forward, to create a new envi- It is time for some mature leadership enough. I personally met with this ronment that builds trust and hope for here. It is not enough just to lay down spokesman, who is a fine man. I ex- a political settlement? a good plan—and it is a good plan the pected more from a man as educated I am troubled by the apparent dis- Saudi Crown Prince laid down and and sophisticated as Mr. Al-Jubeir. If connect between the initiatives for which was adopted in Beirut. What an American diplomat wrote a poem— VerDate 11-MAY-2000 05:14 Apr 26, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G25AP6.140 pfrm12 PsN: S25PT1 April 25, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3423 if the Ambassador from the United East. We all want for it to end imme- As the birthplace of Islam and the States to England wrote a poem extol- diately. All of us would like to see a land of the holiest Muslim sites, Saudi ling terrorism and attacking the leader peaceful settlement. To make it hap- Arabia has a critical role to play in re- of an ally, the President of the United pen, everyone—everyone—must shoul- solving one of the most intractable States would have his or her head on a der responsibility. conflicts of our time. platter the next day. They would be It is time for big nations and serious This is an opportunity for the Saudi fired. leaders to stand up, to stand up and Royal Family to make a real contribu- What would happen if an ambassador speak the truth.