by Gerald L. Posner
|
| List Price: | $14.95 |
| Amazon Price: | $11.21 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
| You Save: | $3.74 (25%) |
| Average Rating: |  |
| Lowest New Price: | $8.00 |
| Availablitiy: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
|
 |
|
Product Description
In its final report, the 9/11 Commission famously called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia “a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism.” To Gerald Posner, the bestselling author of Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11, this is a gross understatement. In his new book, Secrets of the Kingdom, Posner exposes the undeniable truth about U.S.-Saudi relations–and how the Saudis’ influence on American business and politics poses a grave threat to our security.
The result of an intensive two-year investigation, Secrets of the Kingdom penetrates the innermost layers of the shielded House of Saud and presents indisputable evidence of complicity and deceit at the highest levels–evidence that the 9/11 Commission, either deliberately or negligently, failed to consider. Using bank records and other previously undisclosed information, Posner unearths many disturbing truths and shattering revelations about the ties that bind the Saudi and U.S. governments, including
• how countless failures in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement gave extraordinary preferential treatment to prominent Saudis living in the United States, including members of the bin Laden family, in the days after 9/11
• a likely close connection between a powerful member of the House of Saud and Abu Zubeydah, the highest-ranking al-Qaeda operative captured so far by the United States
• how the Saudi government has turned a blind eye to the role Saudi charities–including many controlled or supported by Kingdom officials– have played in bankrolling al-Qaeda and Islamic terror groups
• the never-before-revealed Saudi and U.S. emergency plans in the event of a national crisis in the Kingdom, plans that could affect the security of the United States and the entire Middle East
Secrets of the Kingdom is an explosive study that will have a profound impact on both U.S. policy and Americans’ perception of their government and its extensive ties to a foreign power. Posner uncovers a disturbing picture of how two nations, despite their differing agendas, have become inextricably entwined.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Damning, but credible story of a Kingdom on the edge, 2008-01-08
Posner has written an information-packed, slim volume that is a concise statement on the terrible ambivalence of relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Posner supports Craig Unger's research, which documented Saudis leaving the U.S. shortly after 9/11 without being properly interviewed by FBI officials. Posner then begins with a fairly comprehensive introduction to how Saudi Arabia started as a nation, and some detail on its Wahhabi roots. Posner traces how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is caught between funding the radical Wahhabi doctrine that has made up its political lifeblood and essence, and the comfortable relationship of selling oil to the United States. The problem of lavish and corrupt princes betraying their Wahhabi roots, the Saudi links to supporting terrorism and anti-Semitism also receive substantial attention. Posner has dug extensively, and while one might not concur with all his reported facts or ideas (some of his Koranic translations seem suspect), his portrait of Saudi Arabia seems to be backed much more by accurate insight than by error. In short, this is a recommended, concise book that blends with skill the problems of religion, politics, and oil.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Something lacking with this book, 2007-04-13
This book does not seem as well researched, as factual as Posner's previous books. It certainly does have some facts we don't often see, and for someone who knows little about Saudi Arabia this might be of value. However the overall description of the Saudi government leads one to think they are 99% thugs and thieves -- e.g. the way the monarch induces Saudi royal family to "earn" rather than just accept welfare, is to set them up to receive bribes! There certainly are repetitive examples of over-the-top spending and behavior by high ranking members of the Saudi Royal Family. Is the message class envy, or something more important here?
Early in the book I got the feeling that Posner was too personally involved in the news here, for example some of the . Certainly the anti-Jew and anti-Israel world view attributed to the Wahabbi thinking, is shocking and could imaginably lead to another Jewish Holocaust if they got what the Wahabbis wanted. I don't even know for certain whether Posner is Jewish, but get the impression he cares too emotionally about this book's subject, to write a 1st rate book here.
This book focuses on Saudi Arabia, but to address the world's Arab problems, anti-Semitism problems, and oil problems would require we look at the other parts of the Arab world as well. This book instead shows the threats posed by Wahabbi Islam, and the corruption that is brought about by unearned oil wealth, from a land that was seized by warfare in the first place.
Each of the chapters seems to me to be a half proved argument, there is just something a little flimsy about the sources by journalistic standards. I'm glad I read this book but feel there must be other books to read, before I get any kind of balanced picture of Saudi Arabia or the Arab world. Each of Posner's other books that I have read, is better than this one.
7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
this a dangerous book with lots of holes, 2007-01-20
I know very little about Saudi Arabia. Yet, on page 34, I knew right away that the incident where the 15 girls died in a fire at their school because the religious police prevented firemen and others from saving the girls because they were not properly covered, the author had the wrong date. He stated that this happened on March 14, 2000. It actually happened on March 15, 2002 and you can still find an article on the incident at the BBC website (and elsewhere). I knew this because I was not paying attention to Saudi Arabia in 2000. I definitely was paying attention in March of 2002 (only 6 months after 9/11/2001) and I remember the incident well. Well, that is okay because out of 191 pages of text (I am not including the index, etc in this page count), it would be easy to make a mistake. The problem is that this mistake was made on page 34. I wondered through the rest of the book what other mistakes were made.
In spite of this error of date of the fire at the school (admittedly a minor error unless it was one of your own children who died), I will say that the book is an intriguing one (but also dangerous). I feel that it is a dangerous book because of how the author presents the Saudis. I feel the author is irresponsible in how he frames Saudi-US relations and the Saudis. After readng this book, one would be tempted to want to end all US relation with the Saudis and to begin to see all Saudis with suspicion and in the most negative light. The truth is, whether we like it or not, the US and Saudi Arabia do have a very long relationship and just as the US is not completely without possibility for betterment, neither are the Saudis. Not all Saudis are terrorists! However, if you read this book and believed everything in it, you would certainly be prone to think that not a single Saudi is worth any degree of trust or partnership.
Part of what makes the book such a page turner is that it reads like a horror story. For instance, on pages 125-134 he describes radiation dispersal devices. He provides a technical description of how the rulers of Saudi Arabia might have engineered the possibility within their oil fields for the destruction of their own land so that it would be completely useless for decades and decades due to radiation. RDD is part of a possible and theoretical scorched earth Saudi policy should the House of Saud ever fall.
Other topics explored in the book include the history of the Saud royal family, Arab and Jewish lobbying and influence on American policy, buying of arms by the Saudis, the massive buying of America (did you know the second largest shareholder of the Fox channel is a Saudi prince? indeed this same prince owns a portion of the company that is presenting the very same web page that you are now reading (I verified this on the prince's website), as well as corruption, extravagance, and excessive spending of and by the royal family, and of course terrorism.
Unlike Thomas Lippman who actually spent decades living in, exploring, and writing of Saudi Arabia in books such as the "Inside the Mirage: America's Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia"), I don't remember reading a single word by Posner where the Saudis were shown in any kind of favorable, moderate, or humane light. Lastly, the book describes Posner as having undertaken a 2 year investigation. Again, if you read authors such as Lippman, you will hear people who have decades - even lifetimes - with the culture.
So read this book if you really want to be frightened, if it doesn't bother you that a whole people of a nation is painted in a negative light, if it doesn't matter that the author is one of the least experienced authors of his subject matter, and lastly, that at least part of the book is pure speculation (although the author freely and openly makes that disclosure).
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Clancy Novel- but real, 2006-03-27
Gerald Posner opens up a whole new aspect of geo-politics that, when I heard myself summarizing to those around me, sounded like a bad Clancy screenplay- except this is true.
Extremely enlightening, scary and timely. A super read.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent and Timely Insights!, 2005-12-11
Posner begins by relating the outcome of capturing Abu Zubeydah, the highest-ranking al-Qaeda operative captured so far by the United States. The U.S. arranged to mislead their captive into thinking that he had been turned over to Saudi's. Zubeydah's reaction was one of relief, and he quickly spit out the phone #s of two Saudi royals, stating that "they would take care of the situation." Unsure what to make of this, the U.S. then informed Zubeydah that the phone #s were no good. He then provided several other Saudi names and that of the Chief of Pakistan's Air Force, adding that the Pakistani and one of the Saudis knew of 9/11 in advance.
Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan denied Zubeydah's claims, as expected. However, three months later, all those named started dying under suspicious circumstances.
Posner then briefly summarizes how the Sauds came to power after WWI, defeating the Ottomans (prior ruling tribe) and others. He then goes on to cover how Saudi Arabia is much more religiously conservative than other branches of Islam, though it has relaxed somewhat in recent years. Nonetheless, one is horrified to read how 15 girls recently died in a fire at their school because authorities would not let them out without "proper" headgear.
Other sources have clearly identified hatred of Israel as a major motivator in the Islamic world. This is somewhat understandable in response to Israel's takeover of Palestinian land and subsequent mistreatment of those citizens. Posner, however, also points out that the Sauds had this hatred before WWI!
Posner also details how Saudi Arabia threatened to nationalize its oil industry in the early 1970s unless businesses lobbied for it. Shortly thereafter, Egypt attacked Israel, Nixon decided to resupply Israel, and the U.S. oil embargo followed. Eventually the embargo was lifted, but prices increased ten-fold, and the Saudis used their new wealth for conspicuous consumption and to engender support among other nations for a resolution condemning Israel.
At this point the "good news" is that eventually the Saudi's began to use their vast wealth to build public infrastructure; the "bad news" is that it was accompanied by lots of corruption.
King Faisal was assassinated in '75 by the nephew of a prince he had ordered killed while protesting (religious reasons) opening a TV station. Posner points out that the nephew had spent years in the U.s. - thus, it was concluded that the West had corrupted him, and general dislike of the U.S. again increased.
America's prolonged military presence on Saudi soil (considered a major affront to Islam) during the first Gulf War helped motivate Bin Laden. (President Clinton compounded the problem by allowing women to be stationed at the base.) At about this time, Saudis worried about others trying to take over their oil fields (President Carter had an official plan drawn up to do so) established a "scorched earth" policy - Semtex explosive was placed in key locations, and it is also rumored that mini "dirty-bombs" were additionally positioned.
As for the current war of terror - Posner points out that much terror-funding comes from the Sauds, and they have failed to cooperated with U.S. banking officials trying to stop the flow.
Overall - a very informative and alarming book.
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
|
Store Categories
|