- Pacific
“The Bush Family Has More Links To The Bin Laden Family” Than Saddam Hussein
One of my favorite talks was given by Dr. Michael Parenti entitled, “Terrorism, Globalization, and Conspiracy.” In it, he says, “he (Saddam Hussein) didn’t have links to that guy (Osama Bin Laden). The Bush family has more links to the Bin Laden family.” I laugh every time I hear it, but in actuality, it’s very sad. Thanks to www.historycommons.org
1988: Bin Ladens Bail Out George W. Bush?
Prior to this year, President George W. Bush is a failed oilman. Three times, friends and
investors have bailed him out to keep his business from going bankrupt. However, in 1988,
the same year his father becomes president, some Saudis buy a portion of his small
company, Harken, which has never performed work outside of Texas. Later in the year,
Harken wins a contract in the Persian Gulf and starts doing well financially. These
transactions seem so suspicious that the Wall Street Journal in 1991 states it
“raises the question of… an effort to cozy up to a presidential son.” Two
major investors in Bush’s company during this time are Salem bin Laden and Khalid bin
Mahfouz. Salem bin Laden dies in a plane crash in Texas in 1988. [INTELLIGENCE NEWSLETTER,
3/2/2000; SALON, 11/19/2001] Salem bin Laden is Osama’s oldest brother; Khalid bin
Mahfouz is a Saudi banker with a 20 percent stake in BCCI. The bank will be shut down a
few years later and bin Mahfouz will have to pay a $225 million fine (while admitting no
wrongdoing) (see October 10, 2001)). [FORBES, 3/18/2002]
June 4, 1992: FBI Investigates Ties Between George W. Bush and Saudi Money
The FBI investigates connections between James Bath and George W. Bush, according to
published reports. Bath is Salem bin Laden’s official representative in the US.
Bath’s business partner contends that, “Documents indicate that the Saudis were
using Bath and their huge financial resources to influence US policy,” since George
W. Bush’s father is president. George W. Bush denies any connections to Saudi money.
What becomes of this investigation is unclear, but no charges are ever filed. [HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 6/4/1992]
November 1998: Former President George H. W. Bush Meets with Bin Laden
Family
Former President George H. W. Bush meets with the bin Laden family on behalf of the
Carlyle Group. The meeting takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. [SUNDAY HERALD (GLASGOW),
10/7/2001]
January 2000: Former President Bush Meets with bin Laden Family on Behalf
of Carlyle Group
Former President George H. W. Bush meets with the bin Laden family on behalf of the
Carlyle Group. He had also met with them in November 1998 (see November 1998), but it is
not known if he meets with them again after this. Bush denies this meeting took place
until a thank you note is found confirming that it took place. [WALL STREET JOURNAL,
9/27/2001; GUARDIAN, 10/31/2001]
Late January 2001: US Intelligence Told to Back Off from Bin Laden and
Saudis
The BBC later reports, “After the elections, [US intelligence] agencies [are] told to
‘back off’ investigating the bin Ladens and Saudi royals, and that anger[s]
agents.” This follows previous orders to abandon an investigation of bin Laden
relatives in 1996 (see February-September 11, 1996), and difficulties in investigating
Saudi royalty. [BBC, 11/6/2001] An unnamed “top-level CIA operative” says there
is a “major policy shift” at the National Security Agency at this time. Bin
Laden could still be investigated, but agents could not look too closely at how he got his
money. One specific CIA investigation hampered by this new policy is an investigation in
Pakistani nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan and his Khan Laboratories. Khan is considered the
“father” of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons capability. But since the funding
for this nuclear program gets traced back to Saudi Arabia, restrictions are placed on the
inquiry. [PALAST, 2002, PP. 99-100] Also in early 2001, FBI agent Robert Wright,
attempting to pursue an investigation into Saudi multimillionaire Yassin al-Qadi, is told
by FBI superiors, “it’s just better to let sleeping dogs lie”(see
January-March 2001). Reporter Greg Palast notes that President Clinton was already
hindering investigations by protecting Saudi interests. However, as he puts it,
“Where Clinton said, ‘Go slow,’ Bush policymakers said, ‘No go.’
The difference is between closing one eye and closing them both.” [PALAST, 2002, PP.
102]
(8:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Former President George H. W. Bush Heads
off After Spending Night at the White House
Former President George H. W. Bush, along with former First Lady Barbara Bush, leaves
Washington, DC, by private jet, bound for a speaking engagement in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Bushes spent the previous night at the White House. They had flown to Washington the
previous day to attend several meetings and a dinner. One of the meetings attended by the
former president was the annual investor conference of the Carlyle Group, which was also
attended by Shafig bin Laden, one of Osama bin Laden’s brothers (see (9:00 a.m.)
September 11, 2001). They are later informed of the WTC attacks while on their jet. Due to
all planes being grounded, they have to land in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [CBS NEWS,
11/1/2002; CNN, 10/25/2003; NEWSWEEK, 10/27/2003]
(9:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001: Bin Laden Brother Attends Carlyle Group
Conference
The Carlyle Group is a large private-equity investment firm, closely associated with
officials of the Bush and Reagan administrations, and has considerable ties to Saudi oil
money, including ties to the bin Laden family. This morning it is holding its annual
investor conference at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Washington, DC. Among the guests of honor
is investor Shafig bin Laden, brother of Osama bin Laden. [OBSERVER, 6/16/2002; LONDON
TIMES, 5/8/2003] Former President George H. W. Bush, who makes speeches on behalf of the
Carlyle Group and is also senior adviser to its Asian Partners fund [WALL STREET JOURNAL,
9/27/2001] , attended the conference the previous day, but is not there today (see (8:00
a.m.) September 11, 2001). [WASHINGTON POST, 3/16/2003 http://noliesradio.org/archives/4810
"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Thomas Jefferson