Feeding the terrorists

In the days after 9/11, DC clipmonkey was stunned, angry and a bit vengeful, just like most Americans. Once it became clear to him that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, he began calling for regime change to take down the Saudi royal family. Of course, that was never going to happen because our own royal family is enmeshed with the Saudis as Michael Moore and the more reputable Kevin Phillips have clearly shown.

Three and a half years later, DC clipmonkey's calls for regime change in Saudi Arabia continue unabated. This regime concentrates spectacular wealth in the hands of the very few (sound familiar?), oppresses its people, and even prohibits women from driving. While the latter notion may present an interesting solution to America's horrendous traffic problems, this regime has still got to go.

Worse yet, as The Washington Post reported Sunday, the bulk of the suicide bombers wreaking havoc in Iraq right now are Saudis. While that news certainly won't stop President Bush from holding hands with Saudi royal family members as he ambles around his Texas ranch, maybe it will get him to ask what the Saudi regime is doing to curb anti-American sentiment among its populace.

Bush is right to call for democracy and freedom in the Middle East, but he has been nearly silent on the actions of the Saudi government. And that silence endangers us for two reasons: it goes against our most fundamental beliefs as a nation and feeds the hatred that breeds suicide bombers. Not only do they hate us because of our culture, they hate us for our hypocrisy!

Oh, and there's one other way that we feed their hatred- by importing 1.5 million barrels of Saudi oil per day. Every day we enrich the royal family so they can live large and donate to the madrassas where oppressed Muslims learn to hate America. So, the next time you fill up your gas tank, think about the suicide bomber you're sponsoring.