The Prince Warns the President

Re “Saudi Prince Warns Bush to Rein In Israel,” April 26: It’s unfortunate that President Bush entertained that Saudi bandit at his ranch in Texas. He should have had Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia escorted back to his plane with instructions to beat it back to his sand pit. I don’t think the Saudis have any moral or other ground to stand on when it comes to events in the Middle East; there’s too much blood and dirty dealing on their hands to allow them any credibility.

Many people I know agree with me that we should pull all our military and other people out of Saudi Arabia immediately and let the Saudis fend for themselves. All we are really doing there is propping up a corrupt dictatorship little better than that in Iraq. The way they have mutated the Muslim religion to suit themselves is bad enough, but the way they treat their own people, particularly their women, is shameful. The result of their involvement with the Palestinians over the past 50 years is sinful.

We no longer need Saudi oil; there is plenty available in other places. Let them try to irrigate the desert with their sudden petroleum surplus.

Joe Doremire

Bakersfield

*

Abdullah had better get his priorities in line before lecturing the U.S. about how to conduct foreign policy. When Saudi Arabia (and all the other Islamic states) abandon the sanctioning of indiscriminate mass murder as state policy they can lecture the U.S. on Israel (or anything). Maybe the next time Saddam Hussein gets feisty, Abdullah may find himself without a state to set policy for.

Paul J. Burke

Palmdale

*

If President Bush had the guts of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, he would have told the Saudi prince that Israel is defending itself against terrorism, specifically targets terrorist forces and desires true peace more than any other nation in the region. There is no need to rein in Israel.

Most important, he would have told his highness, in an echo of Giuliani’s statements to another member of the royal family, that his highness’ thinking is exactly the mind-set that leads to events like Sept. 11. Giuliani sent back a check; Bush should ship back barrels of oil. He should also add a note inquiring as to why medieval monarchies are still tolerated in the 21st century.

Jay Braun

Los Angeles

*

Re “Broaden U.N. Jenin Inquiry to Include Palestinians,” Commentary, April 25: Walter Reich’s suggestion of broadening the U.N.’s Jenin inquiry must be commended. However, the investigation should not only include the alleged role of the Palestinian Authority in the suicide bombings that killed Israeli civilians but also the role of Israel’s military in the killing of hundreds of defenseless Palestinian civilians since September 2000, including over 200 children.

Carrying out such a “parallel investigation” could indeed lead to peace, but only when Arab and Jewish lives are treated with equal respect and thoughtfulness.

Salah Ezz

Cairo

*

The Israelis have uncovered hard evidence linking Yasser Arafat and some of his closest advisors to the terrorist suicide bombings. Why are so many Europeans and leftists dismissive of hard evidence connecting the Palestinian leadership to terrorism while they unceasingly report unverified “massacres” in which there is no supporting evidence? Could they have become “terrorist rights activists” instead of human rights activists?

Brian Elfand

Woodland Hills

*

What the Middle East needs is another Golda Meir.

Samuel M. Rosen

Newbury Park