"The State Department recently revoked the diplomatic visas of 16 people affiliated with an Islamic institute in Virginia, the latest step in a joint U.S.-Saudi crackdown that has led to an exodus of Riyadh's diplomats from the United States in recent months, a senior Saudi official said yesterday." This from the Washington Post, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm:
The 16 staffers at the Fairfax-based Institute for Islamic and Arabic Sciences in America are among two dozen Saudi personnel whose diplomatic credentials were revoked in recent weeks, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said. The revocations, the official said, were part of "an ongoing effort to protect the homeland." He said the Saudis have been told that they must leave within two weeks.In all, about 70 people with Saudi diplomatic credentials about have left the United States in the past four months, the Saudi official said.
The most recent revocations are part of the attempt by both countries to curb the spread of extremist Islamic rhetoric in this country and ensure that all Saudi Embassy employees are engaged in legitimate diplomatic activity, U.S. and Saudi officials said.
The joint effort is part of Riyadh's increased cooperation with Washington in the war on terrorism, which began when Saudi Arabia was hit last May by the first of two deadly suicide bombings. The attacks are believed to be the work of terrorists linked to al Qaeda.
The State Department's move to revoke the diplomatic status of institute staffers came after Riyadh decided that the institute and its staff would no longer be attached to the embassy. That decision followed accusations that the institute, a satellite campus of al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, was promoting a brand of Islam that critics say is intolerant of other strains of the religion as well as Christianity and Judaism.
"The State Department's move to revoke the diplomatic status of institute staffers came after Riyadh decided that the institute and its staff would no longer be attached to the embassy. "
It seems that, once again, the U.s. had to ask for Saudi permission before kicking extremists out. I don't understand why we are trying so hard not to offend the Saudi government.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't seen any other explanations except for the continuing habbit of past and present U.S. presidents and administration members building careers after the White House with Saudi oil companies.
I promise, what you point out is the only important reason we went to Iraq. We need to remove the consideration of oil from our relationship with them. Saudi Arabia is also well aware of this. They aren't cooperating because of suicide bombings. They are cooperating because they know why we are in Iraq, and they know their days as an ambiguously cooperative ally are numbered as we establish more and more of a foothold in Iraq.
I'm not saying at all that our plans include coming to blows with Saudi Arabia, rather that we will begin to put the kind of pressure on them that we couldn't before without secured oil.
Rick,
You're right, things will definitely change in that part of the world. I wonder what will happen to the Saudis when oil prices drop. You think they might actually have to start working for a living?
Saudi Arabia shouldn`t have been allowed to have such a religious estabilshment with diplomatic status,here in the US,in the first place.
Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to finance any islamic estabilshments in any western country,unless they will agree to reciprocity(christian churches in their country....which will never happen).
Saudi Arabia should be given an ultimatum:either you close down all terrorist training camps in your country and stop financing international terrorism,or we will have to step in,get your oil and level the country.
I have been a stranger in a strange land.