Topic: REP. MCKINNEY'S LETTER TO PRINCE ALWALEED

topic by
nemesis
11/1/2001 (20:01)

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REP. MCKINNEY'S LETTER TO PRINCE ALWALEED

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October 12, 2001

His Royal Highness Prince Alwaleed bin Talal
Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037

Dear Prince Alwaleed bin Talal:
I would like to take just a moment to thank you for your recent
demonstration of empathy with those suffering from the devastating and
heinous September 11 attacks on the United States Pentagon and the World
Trade Center. I would especially like to thank you for your most generous
offer of $10 million to assist those Americans in need as a result of those
attacks.

I was disappointed that Mayor Giuliani chose to decline your generous offer
and instead criticize you for your observations of events in the Middle
East. Whether he agreed with you or not I think he should have recognized
your right to speak and make observations about a part of the world which
you know so well. I think Mayor Giuliani would do well to listen to the
words of one of our greatest Americans, former Senator Robert Kennedy. In
1968 he said that America 'is a great nation and a strong people. Any who
seek to comfort rather than to speak plainly, reassure rather than
instruct, promise satisfaction rather than reveal frustration--they deny
that greatness and drain that strength. For today as it was in the
beginning, it is the truth that makes us free.' I believe Senator Robert
Kennedy's remarks remain as inspirational and true today as when he first
spoke them over 30 years ago.

Let me say that there are a growing number of people in the United States
who recognize, like you, that US policy in the Middle East needs serious
examination. Indeed, on the same day that you made your remarks about US
policy in the Middle East, the Chairman of the House International
Relations Committee, The Honorable Henry Hyde, spoke on National Public
Radio and said, 'There's no question in my mind that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the most important issue in dispute, and
has generated a lot of the animosity towards us because of our unwavering
support for Israel, which will remain in place.'

At the same time, CNN played an interview with former National Security
Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski who stated that America must 'deal with some of
the issues that animate the hostility' against us, like 'the treatment of
the population of Iraq' and that 'the Israelis are stronger, so they're
naturally inflicting much more casualties than the Palestinians on the
Israelis and that produces frustration and rage.'

Your Royal Highness, many of us here in the United States have long been
concerned about reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch
that reveal a pattern of excessive, and often indiscriminate, use of lethal
force by Israeli security forces in situations where Palestinian
demonstrators were unarmed and posed no threat of death or serious injury
to the security forces or to others. Israeli peace organizations like
B'Tselem accuse the Israeli Defense Forces of violating the most
fundamental rules of international law in committing atrocities against
Palestinians.

The Israeli Gush Shalom boldly states that 'Israeli occupation of the West
Bank and Gaza Strip is the root cause of the violence and hatred. As long
as the occupation continues, bloodshed will continue and
increase.' Indeed, Your Royal Highness, all people of good conscience
understand that this kind of mistreatment breeds a hotbed of anger and
despair that destabilizes peace in the Middle East and elsewhere. Until we
confront the realities of events in the Middle East our nation and the
nations of the Middle East will be at risk.

Your Royal Highness, there are many people in America who desperately need
your generosity. People who have been locked out, marginalized from
America's mainstream. All of those people are poor and too many of them
are people of color. A black baby boy born in Harlem today has less chance
of reaching age 65 than a baby born in Bangladesh. Your Royal Highness,
the state of black America is not good.

It is painfully visible in Washington D.C., where, just a few hundred yards
from the White House, one can find black man after black man huddled in bus
shelters, doorways, over subway ventilation shafts, sleeping on the street,
thrown away like trash. Ironically, many of them are Vietnam veterans who,
having served this nation with distinction in Vietnam, now find themselves
without adequate care and accommodation. Unfortunately, this same scene is
repeated in each and every one of our major cities here in the United
States.

I am ashamed to say that my home city of Atlanta is no exception. Just last
night my son was out with members of Atlanta's Muslim community who, for
years, have been feeding Atlanta's homeless. Sadly, no one in mainstream
Atlanta knows about the tireless and generous work of the local Muslim
community. But the poor know, and I guess at one level that's all that
matters. But on a broader view mainstream America should know.

The Justice Department admits that blacks are more likely than whites to be
pulled over by police, imprisoned, and put to death. And, though blacks
and whites have about the same rate of drug use, blacks are more likely to
be arrested than whites and are more likely to receive longer prison
sentences than whites. Incredibly, 80% of people in prison in the United
States are people of color.

Twenty-six black men were executed last year, some probably innocent;
America began 2001 by executing a retarded black woman.

Government studies on health disparities confirm that blacks are less
likely to receive surgery, transplants, and prescription drugs than whites.
Physicians are less likely to prescribe appropriate treatment for blacks
than for whites and black scientists, physicians, and institutions are shut
out of the funding stream to prevent all this.

I serve in Congress where the Black Caucus is shrinking. Yet, sections of
the Voting Rights Act will soon expire, and quite frankly, after crippling
Court decisions, there is not much left of affirmative action to mend.

In the FBI's own words, its counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO) had as
a goal, 'to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize'
the activities of black organizations and to prevent black 'leaders from
gaining respectability.'

And instead of real leaders, COINTELPRO offers us hand-picked 'court
priests' who are more loyal to the plan than to the people. Court priests
who preach peace, peace when there is no peace.

As you can see, the statistics are very grim for Black America. Although
your offer was not accepted by Mayor Giuliani, I would like to ask you to
consider assisting Americans who are in dire need right now. I believe we
can guide your generosity to help improve the state of Black America and
build better lives. My office can provide you with a list of charities who
labor under the most difficult circumstances to try and improve the lives
of the people they serve. I hope you will consider reaching out to our
charities and to our people who are in need. Please do not hesitate to
contact me with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Cynthia McKinney
Member of Congress
http://www.house.gov/mckinney/guest.htm

reply by
the Pond
11/2/2001 (21:49)

reply top

I guess, only a politician could grovel so well before his 'royal highness'.

Guliani, while i do not agree with his politics, sent a clear message: Money does not make the world go around.

Unfortunately, his 'royal highness' knows no other language. His own people would likely linch him, given the chance were it not for the protection he lives under provided by the US government.

This man and his ilk, represent some of the worst humans beings to exist on this planet; last weeks 60 minutes story proves no different.

reply by
nemesis
11/4/2001 (13:40)

reply top

Funny how we tend to read only what we want to read and blackout everything else!!!

Also, although 'this man and his ilk' indeed represent 'the worst human beings to exist on this planet' . . . . it is surprising that we 'found out' about it only now!!! Or, did we?