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Contents:
Weiner-Ferguson Amendment to Prohibit Aid
to Saudi Arabia June 27, 2005
"The Saudis have been playing a double game since 9/11, maintaining their alliance with the U.S. while aiding the jihad worldwide"
Dear Colleague: Despite efforts to persuade us otherwise, the Saudis have not been a true ally in the war on terror. They have stymied our terror investigations, provided financial support to terrorists, and bankrolled fanatical Wahhabism. That's why last year a majority of you supported an amendment to strike funding for the Saudis in the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. This year we are asking for your support again. 1. The vast majority of suicide bombers in Iraq are Saudis: 70% percent of suicide bombers named on Islamic extremist websites are Saudi, according to experts. And 61% of Arab martyrs in Iraq are Saudi. As recently as May 28, 2005, Syria arrested 300 Saudis trying to cross into Iraq to join the jihad against the U.S. [Source: Washington Post, "Martyrs' In Iraq Mostly Saudis; Web Sites Track Suicide Bombings," May 15, 2005; Arab News "Syria Arrests 300 Saudis, May 28, 2005] 2. Saudi efforts to prosecute terrorists are inept: The Council on Foreign Relations recently wrote: "We find it regrettable and unacceptable that since September 11, 2001, we know of not a single Saudi donor of funds to terrorist groups who has been publicly punished-despite Ambassador Bandar's assertion, in response to the issuance of our first report, that Saudi Arabia would 'prosecute the guilty to the fullest extent of the law.'" [Source: Council on Foreign Relations, "Update on the Global Campaign Against Terrorist Financing," pg. 20, June 2004) 3. The Saudis finance terror groups: More than 50% of Hamas funding comes from Saudi Arabia, which has funneled over $4 billion to finance Palestinian terror since 2000. (Source: Ambassador Dore Gold's testimony to the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, July 21, 2003) 4. The Saudis thwart American anti-terror efforts: The Saudis have denied U.S. officials access to several suspects in custody, including a Saudi in detention for months who had knowledge of extensive plans to inject poison gas in the New York City subway system. [Source: Time Magazine, September 15, 2003] 5. The Saudis are connected to al-Qaeda: In his book, Why America Slept, author Gerald Posner quotes U.S. officials as saying a key al-Qaeda operative in U.S. custody, Abu Zubaydah, told his interrogators that al-Qaeda had an explicit deal with the Saudi royals to desist from violence in the kingdom in exchange for Saudi financing. [Source: Time Magazine, September 15, 2003] Our amendment would prohibit U.S. aid to the Saudis. Please contact Daniel Greenspahn in Mr. Weiner's office (5-6616) or Amanda Tharpe in Mr. Ferguson's office (5-5361) with any questions or concerns. Sincerely,
Anthony D. Weiner Michael Ferguson
Eival Giladi, in charge of
Disengagement, for the Prime Minister, Maintains a Personal
Financial Stake in the Palestinian Economy in Gaza
Eival Giladi maintains a personal business stake in the Palestinian economy, with an obvious conflict of interest that may interfere with his performance as an official of the office of the Prime Minister of Israel As head of the coordination and strategy team in the Prime Minister's Office, HaArtez on June 4th, 2005 described Giladi as "one of the architects of the disengagement plan. Giladi is the thinking man in the Sharon administration, the behind-the-scenes advisor to the advisor and ultimate mystery emissary, Dov Weissglass" Giladi, meanwhile, has found a way to supplement the meager income of an Israeli civil servant. Giladi has been named as the pioneer of a business venture for Palestinians in Gaza: The Portland Trust. Giladi has been placed in charge of the Portland Trust's $500 million business development fund, which would help Palestinians moved 150,000 housing units in place of the Katif homes and farms that Giladi is about to destroy. Katif farming communities produce $62 million in export of food products for the state of Israel per annum. In other words, Giladi maintains a clear personal and financial business stake in the decimation of the thriving Jewish communities of Katif. It will be instructive to see if the Israeli Attorney General, the Israel State Comptroller and the Israel Civil Service Commission take any action to question the role of Eival Giladi in the planning and the execution of the Prime Minister's policy, which has been described as a "disengagement plan". Israel's mainstream media outlets have publicized Giladi's direct personal financial stake in this process.None of the media in Israel have called into question the clear conflict of interest. How can this be allowed to happen?
Eival Giladi's Appointments: #1 p.m. SHARON APPOINTS BRIG.-GEN. (RES.) EIVAL
GILADI TO HEAD PMO STRATEGIC COORDINATION STAFF Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met today (Tuesday), 19.4.05, with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Eival Giladi, who will serve as Director of the Strategic Coordination Staff in the Prime Minister's Office. The Prime Minister made it clear that he ascribes great importance to coordination between government ministries and other relevant bodies ahead of the implementation of the Disengagement Plan ( http://tinyurl.com/43l87 ). Brig.-Gen. (res.) Giladi served up until recently as the Director of the IDF Strategic Planning Unit and was involved both in formulating the Disengagement Plan and in the strategic negotiations with the US, the Palestinians and additional diplomatic and security elements. #2 Portland Trust (Tel. 03-609-9901)officially announces Brigidier-General (res.) Ibal Giladi to be professional manager of its Gaza investment project "Portland Trust has officially announced the opening of its Israeli offices. Its chairman will be Cohen, and its professional manager will be Brigidier-General (res.) Ibal Giladi. Cohen, Sir Harry Solomon, and Sir Martin Gilbert founded the fund in the UK in early 2003. Its CEO is Jonathan Kestenbaum, who has spent most of his career in public and government companies in the UK. The fund will work closely with local banks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and is expected to raise about $500 million. The money will guarantee credit lines to private companies from local banks. . . . Portland Trust says that the Palestinian economy will benefit from a peace dividend of $850 million a year, which amounts to $460 per adult. 1.2 million new jobs will be created. If peace agreements are signed, the Israeli economy will generate $5 billion in additional income lost as a result of the intifada. In the next stage, Portland Trust plans to take the study, and consider how capital can be injected into the private sector, and how small businesses can be encouraged."
Sir Ronald Cohen on acquiring Bezeq, retiring from Apax Partners, moving to
Israel, and his vision for Portland Trust.
IMRA asks Prime Minister's
Office about Eival Giladi - Conflict of Interest IMRA sent the following inquiry today to the Prime Minister's Spokeperson's Office: Per my conversation with your office, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Eival Giladi, is currently serving as Director of the Strategic Coordination Staff in the Prime Minister's Office and taking a lead role in the disengagement from Gaza. Per my conversation this morning with the (Tel Aviv) Israel office of Portland Trust, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Eival Giladi is currently serving as the professional manager of the Israel office of Portland Trust - the office that is handling Portland Trust's Gaza investment projects. Please advise what measures have been taken to insure that there is no conflict of interest in Giladi holding both positions at the same time. Best regards, Dr. Aaron Lerner - Director - IMRA
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