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Originally Posted by Stonecutter
If we're going to be taking out the biggest powers in the mid east (and actually attempting to put a dent in "terrorism") we should be going after the Saudis.
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Stonecutter, there is a difference between a country having terrorists and a country supporting them. Saudi Arabia is probably the most strict Middle Eastern when it comes to terrorism to the point that the royal family have prices on their heads. They've also had terrorist attacks perpetrated on them by Al Queida.
Yes, Osama Bin Laden comes from a family from Saudi Arabia... but his family has been completely disassociated from him since 1988 and has even lent assistance in helping the effort to catch him.
Yes, many terrorists from 9/11 are/were from Saudi Arabia, but they were not sponsored, trained or assisted by the Saudi Arabian government. You can't hold an entire nation responsible for the actions of a few. In fact Saudi Arabia is one of the few nations in the Middle East that has attempted to close their borders to prevent fanatics from crossing over into Iraq, unlike Iran and Syria.
Meanwhile it has been proven that Iraq (under Saddam) and Iran have actively sponsored terrorism and now that it's pretty evident that Syria has been a dumping ground for Saddam for years. Knowing this, Saudi Arabia is the least of my worries when it comes to governments sponsoring terrorism.
I'm not saying that the Saudi Arabian government is a bed of roses because they're suspect in many areas, but when it comes to nations/governments that support terrorism they are WAY down my list. And speaking of this list...
5) Pakistan - They look the other way much too often
4) Jordan - Same as Pakistan but worse
3) Iran - Active terror supporters and the government cow-tows to fanatical Muslims
2) North Korea - They have let the world that they don't care what anyone thinks and they have access to Nuclear materials and a severe monetary issues. Do the math.
1) Syria - Its not been made pretty clear that a good portion of the 10,000 pounds (or was it tons? I forget) of chemical and biological weapons found by the UN in Iraq in 1998 are located in Syria. They need to be found and destroyed NOW.