Saudi Arabia Cartoons

US government releases secret chapter from 9/11 report

Rep. King: We don't have the full picture on Saudi Arabia

The U.S. government on Friday released a once-secret chapter from a congressional report on the 9/11 attacks that addresses Saudi connections to some of the hijackers, a move sure to recharge speculation over what -- if anything -- Saudi government officials knew.
Under wraps for 13 years, the report contains numerous redactions but states some hijackers "were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government."
The documents were posted Friday by the House intelligence committee, after being declassified.
The report questioned whether Saudis who were in contact with the hijackers after they arrived in the U.S. knew what they were planning. The document -- known as the so-called "28 pages" -- names people the hijackers associated with before they carried out the attacks. It identifies individuals who helped the hijackers get apartments, open bank accounts, attend local mosques and get flight lessons.
The document says Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who helped two of the hijackers in California, was suspected of being a Saudi intelligence officer. The 9/11 Commission report found him to be an "unlikely candidate for clandestine involvement" with Islamic extremists. The new document says that according to FBI files, al-Bayoumi had "extensive contact with Saudi government establishments in the United States and received financial support from a Saudi company affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Defense. ... That company reportedly had ties to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida," which orchestrated the attacks.
The document also points to Osama Bassnan, who lived across the street from two of the hijackers in California. According to an FBI document, Bassnan told another individual that he met the hijackers through al-Bayoumi. Bassnan told an FBI asset that "he did more than al-Bayoumi did for the hijackers."
The office of the Director of National Intelligence on Friday also released part of a 2005 FBI-CIA memo that said "there is no information to indicate that either (Bayoumi) or (Bassnan) materially supported the hijackers wittingly, were intelligence officers of the Saudi government or provided material support for the 11 September attacks, contrary to media speculation."
There also is stinging criticism of the intelligence community and previous administrations for not taking the “issue” of Saudi ties to terror groups seriously.
One of the reasons for the “limited understanding” of the extent of Saudi Arabia’s support and financing of terror groups, the report said, was a reluctance to investigate them “due to Saudi Arabia’s status as an American ‘ally.’”
“It should be clear that this Joint Inquiry has made no final determination as to the reliability or sufficiency of the information,” said the report, adding that extensive investigation was outside the committee’s mission.
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed support for the decision to release the previously classified material but noted “that this section does not put forward vetted conclusions, but rather unverified leads that were later fully investigated by the Intelligence Community.”
Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., applauded the disclosure but acknowledged it would not end the years of debate about the role of Saudi Arabia preceding the 9/11 attacks.
“I know that the release of these pages will not end debate over the issue, but it will quiet rumors over their contents – as is often the case, the reality is less damaging than the uncertainty,” said Schiff.
Later investigations found no evidence that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials knowingly supported those who orchestrated the attacks. But lawmakers and relatives of victims, who don't think all Saudi links to the attackers were thoroughly investigated, campaigned for more than 13 years to get the final chapter of the 2002 congressional inquiry released.
Former President George W. Bush originally classified the chapter to protect intelligence sources and methods and perhaps to avoid upsetting Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally.
President Obama later ordered a declassification review of the chapter, which Congress released on Friday.
The congressional panel that compiled the report was made up of bipartisan members of the Senate and House intelligence committees. The separate 9/11 commission released the findings of its investigation two years later.
Until now, the classified documents have remained in a secure basement room at the Capitol for the last 14 years – and the subject of intense debate.
Those who argued for their release believed the pages would shed light on the dark relationship between Saudi Arabia and terrorism.
Of the 19 who carried out the 9/11 attacks, 15 were Saudi citizens; the government has long had a complicated relationship with terrorists and terror organizations.
Saying it would clear up “any lingering suspicions” about its role in the attacks, the government of Saudi Arabia supported calls for the release of the secret pages.
“Since 2002, the 9/11 Commission and several government agencies, including the CIA and the FBI, have investigated the contents of the ‘28 Pages’ and have confirmed that neither the Saudi government, nor senior Saudi officials, nor any person acting on behalf of the Saudi government provided any support or encouragement for these attacks,” Saudi Ambassador to the United States Abdullah Al-Saud said in a statement.
It was clear, however, that the Saudis were less than cooperative with investigators following the attacks. One FBI official described post-Sept. 11, 2001 investigation in which he provided the Saudis with copies of individuals’ passports and they responded that “they had no record of the subjects.”
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the release of the pages “does not change the assessment of the U.S. government that there’s no evidence the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials funded Al Qaeda.”
In June 2015, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky joined with Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden to introduce a bill requiring President Obama to declassify and make available to the public the redacted 28 pages.
Former Florida Sen. Bob Graham, the former chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chair of the bipartisan joint congressional inquiry, recently told "60 Minutes" he believed the hijackers had connections and support from the Saudi government, as well as wealthy individuals and charities.
This past June, the CIA's Office of the Inspector General released a report on its own internal investigation. The inquiry, which concluded in 2005, was said to be inconclusive and found no evidence the Saudi government knowingly and willingly supported Al Qaeda terrorists.
Under increasing pressure from the victims' families and lawmakers, Obama said in April his administration would declassify the pages.

Sen. Warren meets with Clinton amid VP speculation

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a potential running mate for Hillary Clinton, met with the presumptive Democratic nominee Friday – as the Clinton campaign confirmed she held several meetings about her vice-presidential selection process.
Warren, frequently touted as a pick who would help bring disenfranchised Bernie Sanders supporters on board, met Clinton for about an hour, Fox News learned. Warren endorsed Clinton last month.
"On Friday, Secretary Clinton held a series of campaign-related meetings at her Washington home, including several about her vice presidential selection process,” campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said.
Warren was omitted Friday from the list of candidates set to speak at the upcoming Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Fox News was previously told she was set to speak on July 25, the same day as Sanders is slated to speak.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro also met with Clinton, the Associated Press reported.
The meetings came as presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump announced Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.

Dem knives come out for Pence pick, moments after Trump tweet

Donald Trump's tweet announcing his running mate was not even moments old when the Democrats' knives came out to attack Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as "extreme" and "divisive" -- and unload their opposition research.
Almost immediately after Trump named Pence, Hillary Clinton’s campaign blasted out an email Friday calling him “the most extreme VP pick in a generation.”
Clinton’s campaign outlined its talking points against the governor, pointing specifically to his record on LGBT and abortion rights, as well as his free-market economic policies.
“By picking Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump has doubled down on some of his most disturbing beliefs by choosing an incredibly divisive and unpopular running mate known for supporting discriminatory politics and failed economic policies that favor millionaires and corporations over working families,” John Podesta, chairman of Hillary for America, said in a statement.
Trump certainly gave Democrats time to prepare. Speculation was centering on Pence earlier in the week, and by Thursday it was widely expected he would be the choice. Still, Trump postponed a planned press conference on the topic Friday morning due to the terror attack in France.
While that event is now set for Saturday, Trump confirmed on Twitter shortly before noon that he selected Pence.

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By that point, Democrats were ready with their lines of attack, even as conservatives largely praised Trump for his pick.
The Podesta email claimed Pence “spearheaded an anti-LGBT law that legalized discrimination against the LGBT community” -- a reference to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which the state later revised -- and notes that he led the battle to defund Planned Parenthood. It also took him to task for opposing raising the federal minimum wage.
“This new Trump-Pence ticket stands in dramatic contrast to Hillary Clinton’s vision of our future - one where we are stronger together, where unity prevails over division and the economy works for all Americans, not just those at the top,” Podesta said.
Clinton’s rapid response team went to work immediately, not only dropping the lengthy email to followers but also tweeting out a series of images summarizing their arguments against Pence and using the pick to call for donations.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley also took to Twitter to remind the public that Pence had criticized Trump not so long ago for his call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration.
Republicans, meanwhile, mostly praised the choice, seen by analysts as a way for Trump to build inroads with the social conservative base -- and Congress, where Pence previously served.
"Mike Pence comes from the heart of the conservative movement -- and the heart of America," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. "I can think of no better choice for our vice-presidential candidate. We need someone who is steady and secure in his principles, someone who can cut through the noise and make a compelling case for conservatism. Mike Pence is that man."
Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin said in a statement that Pence “provides the opportunity to give GOP voters still undecided about Donald Trump a reason to unite and to vote for a more principled ticket.”

Pence echoes Trump's call for immigration ban

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence echoed presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s call for an immigration ban Friday night in an interview on “Hannity.”
“I am very supportive of Donald Trump’s call to temporarily suspend immigration from countries where terrorists represent a threat to the United States,” Pence said.
Trump announced on Twitter earlier that Pence would be his running mate.
Pence seemed to back off a previous statement he made on Twitter in 2015, bashing Trump’s call to temporarily ban Muslims from immigrating to the U.S. after the San Bernardino, Calif. terror attack.
Instead, Pence insisted that “we got to do something different.” He added that because top U.S. security officials have all said that Islamic State have used the refugee crisis to infiltrate the West, that’s why Trump’s call made sense.
“The American people need to know who these people are,” he said. “We have a proud tradition of refugee resettlement in my own state of Indiana … but that has to be subordinated to the safety and security of the American people.”

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He took a jab at the presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, calling her plan to increase the number of refugees in the U.S. “irresponsible” given the state of the world. He noted that President Obama temporarily suspended the Iraqi refugee program in 2009 when two Iraqi refugees were found to be plotting an attack in Kentucky.
Pence said the Trump can be the leader that the U.S. needs. He believes that at the GOP convention next week in Cleveland that more people will start to rally around Trump.
“He’s the people’s choice. We had a competitive primary with enormous number of talent and Donald Trump emerged because he understands the anxiety and aspirations of the American people.
“He’s a good man and will be a great president of the United States.”

Obama Lame Duck Cartoons

Obama confronts race issues bigger than police

Hume: Racial tensions have grown worse under Obama admin

WASHINGTON –  The son of the Louisiana man shot dead by police wants President Barack Obama to help end world racism. The mother of a policeman pleads for ways to keep her son safe. A single mom who has sent her son away from a rough Baltimore neighborhood worries over how to keep him safe when he's home on the weekends.
America's fraught debate about tensions between blacks and police spilled over Thursday into hang-wringing about societal problems beyond any one person's capacity to fix — even the president. At a town hall meeting recorded to be broadcast in prime time, Obama cautiously offered suggestions, but no surefire solutions.
The good news, Obama said, is at least people are finally talking about the problems. Calling for "open hearts," he urged Americans not to cloister themselves in separate corners.
"Because of the history of this country and the legacy of race, and all the complications that are involved with that, working through these issues so that things can continue to get better will take some time," Obama said.
More time than Obama has left in office, he readily conceded.
As 32-year-old Philando Castile's funeral was underway in St. Paul, Minnesota, Obama took a question remotely from Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend, who livestreamed the aftermath of his shooting bypolice on Facebook. She said she's scared for her daughter's future and asked the president, "What do we do?"
Choosing his words carefully, Obama said it's key for officers to get to know the community they're protecting. Also critical, he said, was to better train police to avoid "implicit biases."
"We all carry around with us some assumptions about other people," Obama said. If people are honest with themselves, he added, "oftentimes there is a presumption that black men are dangerous."
He offered a rare reflection on how he felt racism had affected him personally, recalling how as a young boy in Hawaii, a female neighbor didn't recognize him and refused to ride in the same elevator. "In that sense, what is true for me is true for a lot of African-American men," he said.
Another questioner, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, came with a different viewpoint. He implored Obama to more strongly condemn those who call for killing police, and to grant a national law enforcement group's request that the White House be lit up with blue lights in solidarity.
The White House has declined that request, and Obama insisted he's condemned anti-police rhetoric plenty already.
In a particularly tense moment at the end of the town hall, the daughter of a man who died in apolice confrontation started screaming after being denied a chance to question the president. Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, later met briefly with Obama in private, the White House said.
The question-and-answer session at a Washington theater capped a dizzying week for the president as he sought to connect with the public in a series of hastily arranged appearances: a meeting with police, a summit with law enforcement leaders and Black Lives Matter activists, a trip to Dallas to honor five white officers killed in a revenge attack.
In each instance, Obama has said he's trying to shift the conversation away from talking points and entrenched accusations of blame, while acknowledging the U.S. is "not even close to being there yet."
Obama, who cut short a Europe trip after the Dallas killings, has found himself squarely in the middle of the crisis. A reluctant mediator between blacks and the police, he's avoided explicitly taking sides.
Even still, some law enforcement leaders have accused Obama of scapegoating police. Some of Obama'scritics have even suggested he's partially to blame for attacks on police.
Obama has long been wary of the expectation that, as the first black president, he's uniquely qualified to play peacemaker. After George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, Obama called for national soul-searching but suggested he needn't be the referee.
Instead, he's tried to encourage more places to adopt policing recommendations developed earlier by his administration. He's called for assigning police officers to the communities where they live, improving training on how to avoid confrontation, expanding access to statistics about police interactions, and ensuring transparent investigations and due process after deadly incidents.
Yet in a reflection of how the policing issue has unmasked broader inequalities, Obama has also insisted that the problem can't be solved while African-Americans still struggle disproportionately with joblessness, drugs, poverty, and lack of access to education, health care and healthy food.
"We expect police to solve a whole range of societal problems that we ourselves have neglected," Obamasaid. He said prominent incidents sometimes "the catalyst for all the other stuff that may not even have to do with policing coming out."
Obama has been blunt about the limitations of presidential words or pat policy proposals. Acknowledging "deep divisions" about the right solutions, he predicted this week there would be more tensions "this month, next month, next year, for quite some time."
To that end, the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors called for local officials to hold "100 community conversations race relations, justice, policing and equality." And in Congress, lawmakers were forming a task force to examine police accountability and aggression toward police.
"I think we need to listen and learn, instead of just starting to throw bombs at each other," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Tim Tebow: Speaking slot at Republican National Convention 'a rumor'

CLEVELAND –  Thursday morning he was among the biggest stars featured on Donald Trump's convention lineup. Thursday night, Tim Tebow declared his attendance at next week's Republican National Convention was nothing more than "a rumor."
"I wake up this morning to find out that I'm speaking at the Republican National Convention," Tebowsaid in a video posted on Facebook. "It's amazing how fast rumors fly. And that's exactly what it is, a rumor."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to questions about Tebow's departure from a convention program that the New York billionaire's team had long teased would be an extraordinary display of political entertainment. But instead of sports stars and celebrities, as promised, the campaign is relying heavily on the party's establishment for the four-day convention, which begins Monday.
The presumptive presidential nominee has approved a convention program that features at least 20 current or former elected officials, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a primary rival.
Still, there is no shortage of political outsiders.
Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder, may be the first-openly gay speaker featured at a national Republican convention. His appearance comes as party leaders refuse to soften the GOP's formal opposition to gay marriage.

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Other speakers will include four of Trump's children, Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin, and actor and former underwear model Antonio Sabàto Jr.
Mark Geist and John Tiegen, survivors of the deadly 2012 attack on the American diplomatic consulate in Benghazi, Libya, will speak.
"This impressive lineup of veterans, political outsiders, faith leaders and those who know Donald Trump the best — his family and longtime friends — represent a cross-section of real people facing the same challenges as every American household," said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.
Some of the GOP's biggest names are declining to participate in the convention.
Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and the party's two most recent presidential nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney, plan to skip the event, as does Ohio Gov. John Kasich, another Trump primary challenger.
Shrugging off such absences, Trump's team suggested the convention lineup would help highlight Trump's outsider appeal.
"We are totally overbooked. We have great speakers, we have winners, we have people that aren't only political people," Trump told Fox News Channel on Tuesday. "We have a lot of people that are just champions and winners."
He acknowledged in recent days that he'd stick a little closer to tradition.
"Look, I have great respect for the institution of the conventions. I mean to me, it's very important. So we're not going to change the wheel," he said on Fox.
Brady was initially floated as a possible speaker, but he won't appear. Neither will former Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight or boxing promoter Don King, a Cleveland resident and passionate Trump supporter.
The program will feature people such pro golfer Natalie Gulbis, retired astronaut Eileen Collins, and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White. Former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, author of the book, "Lone Survivor," about a 2005 firefight in Afghanistan, will make an appearance, along with a Wisconsin sheriff, David Clarke, who is a vocal critic of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The convention will highlight religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell Jr. and Haskel Lookstein, the New York rabbi who converted Trump's daughter Ivanka to Judaism.
Trump does not forget his business relationships, giving speaking slots to real estate investor Tom Barrack and even the general manager for Virginia's Trump Winery, Kerry Woolard.
In a nod toward party unity, Trump will feature several former presidential competitors, including Cruz, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ben Carson and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Two finalists in Trump's search for a running mate made the list as well: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich. The other finalist, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, was not included in the program obtained by the AP.