Random Thoughts

Oct. 29, 2003

The Bush-bin Laden connection

If you‘ve been wondering why Republicans in Congress stonewalled an investigation of the 9/11 attack, Michael Moore has the answer in his new book, “Dude, Where‘s My Country?“, which was published earlier this month.
It‘s because the Bush family has been in bed with Osama bin Laden‘s family for more than 25 years on various business deals, and even helped two dozen members of the bin Ladens fly out of the country within days of 9/11 at a time when no Americans were allowed to fly.
It sounds like a bizarre conspiracy theory, but it‘s absolutely true, as reported in the New York Times, The New Yorker magazine, and now in Moore‘s book. Moore is investigating and amplifying the story in the hope that it will be a “regime-ending“ embarassment for the Bush presidency.
To refresh your memory, on September 11, 2001, a suicide squad of 19 hijackers (15 of whom were from Saudi Arabia), flew American jets into the Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on what was probably a failed mission to take out the White House or Congress. More than 3,000 Americans were killed in those attacks. Many of our countrymen lept to their death from the towers to avoid the burning jet fuel. Other rescuers were literally vaporized as the towers crashed down upon them.
Almost immediately, law enforcement officials in our country were aware that the attacks had been carried out by the minions of Osama bin Laden.
And, what did the Bush administration do in response?
Virtually its first order of business was to get the FBI to approve the flight of a private jet around the country to pick up two dozen members of the bin Laden family -- all while thousands of Americans were grounded in airports around the country. When flight restrictions were lifted overseas, the bin Laden family was given the okay to fly out of the country with no questions asked, Moore says. “One FBI agent I spoke to told me that the bureau was ‘furious‘ that it was not allowed to keep the bin Ladens in the country to conduct a real investigation -- the kind police like to do when they are trying to track down a murderer,“ Moore writes in this month‘s Rolling Stone.
“So, while thousands were stranded and could not fly, if you could prove you were a close relative of the biggest mass murderer in U.S. history, you got a free trip overseas!“ Moore writes.
Why? Because the Bush and bin Laden family have ties that date back to 1977 or more when George Bush, Sr. used their money to help fund a Texas oil company venture. Through the years, George Bush, Sr., has been especially close to the bin Ladens -- even considering one of their princes as a family member -- “Bandar Bush.“
Even after 9/11, George Bush, Sr. and his Carlyle Group investment firm continued to receive millions from the bin Laden family until public pressure made them sever the ties.
Moore wonders what would have become of Bill Clinton if his family had been involved with that of Timothy McVeigh at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing. “What do you think your Republican Party and the media would have done with that one?“ he wonders. Answer: “They would have skinned Clinton alive and thrown what was left of his carcass in Gitmo.“
“Or, to use the Clinton analogy again, imagine, in the hours after the Oklahoma City bombing, Bill Clinton suddenly started worrying about the ‘safety‘ of the McVeigh family up in Buffalo -- and then arranged a free trip for them out of the country. What would you and the Republicans have said about that?“
Obviously, the 9/11 attacks were of a far more devastating degree than those of Oklahoma City, but thus far, President Bush has received a free pass in the press and with many Americans. Most Americans think that Osama bin Laden was disowned by his family years ago, so the Bush-bin Laden connection is no big deal.
But that‘s not true: there is videotape of Osama reunited with the family at his son‘s wedding, eight months before 9/11, with everyone looking righty-tighty. Moore claims that members of the bin Laden family have poured millions into Osama‘s terrorist causes and that his share of the family stake amounts to at least $30 million.
So, where‘s the outrage? Why don‘t Americans or the media seem to care? Where is the Republican-style “echo chamber“ broadcasting this news on every radio and TV station and in every newspaper, as was the case with the Whitewater investigation, or President Clinton‘s sex life?
I believe the answer is found in Moore‘s own book. Saudi Arabia is the number-one supplier of oil to our country, and America, Inc. wouldn‘t last a month if we got our friends over there in a royal snit and they turned off the pump, as was the case in the “Oil Crisis“ of the ‘70s.
Talk about your Axis of Evil. We know that evil deeds have been done in the name of oil. We know that the highest level of our government has been involved in a labyrinth of financial ties to the very terrorists it claims to be after. We know that we are supporting an evil dictatorship in the form of Saudi Arabia, which Parade Magazine listed as one of the top three most repressive countries in the world -- even worse than Iraq. But we keep all of that unpleasant stuff way back in the basement of our minds, because down a subconscious trap door somewhere far below that, we know that doing the right thing would mean ending the sweet deal we‘ve got with the Saudi‘s oil.