[Am I the only one who gets really weird vibes from these two cooperating like this? OG]

Two Top Senators Lash Out at Saudis, Egypt

Updated: Sun, Oct 21 11:58 AM EDT

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two influential U.S. senators lambasted Saudi Arabia and Egypt Sunday, accusing them of not doing enough in America's war against terrorism and of supporting some extremist groups in their own countries.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, and Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, said the two Arab nations had to decide whether they were "with or against" America following the Sept. 11 aerial assaults on New York and Washington.

"They (Saudi Arabia) have been playing, as well as Egypt and a couple of other countries, a kind of a double game here," said Arizona Sen. John McCain, in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."

McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Saudi Arabia and Egypt had satisfied extremists within their own countries by allowing them to "have the megaphone" and had also financed some of these groups.

"They are kind of trying to have it both ways. I don't think they can and it's very sad," added McCain.

Lieberman, who heads the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, said on the same program that Egypt and Saudi Arabia should take note of President Bush's statement to Congress on Sept. 20 when he told nations they were either "with us or against us" in the war on terrorism.

"From the Saudis' point of view, as John (McCain) has suggested, they follow the strategy where, I think, they can ride the back of this tiger. This tiger, if they continue to try to ride its back, is going to eat them up," said Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential nominee last year.

POWELL SAYS SAUDI ARABIA AND EGYPT SHOWN SUPPORT

U.S. diplomats have been loathe to publicly criticize Arab allies, many of whom face noisy opposition in their own countries for America's raids on Afghanistan, where Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network are based.

Bin Laden, who has urged Muslims to "rise to defend" their religion, is the chief suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks, when hijacked planes were rammed into the World Trade Center in New York and a wing of the Pentagon in Washington. Around 5,400 people died in the attacks.

Asked to comment on McCain's harsh words about Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Secretary of State Colin Powell told "Fox New Sunday:" "They are with us. I mean both Egypt and Saudi Arabia have responded to every request we have made of them."

Powell said there was dissent within both countries and it was not the role of the United States to tell them to "muzzle those who are speaking out against us."

"I think if we want them to be the kind of nations and lands that we preach about, we have to expect that if there is another point of view within that country that differs from the official point of view of the government, you have to give it the opportunity to be expressed," he said.

Lieberman pointed out that one of bin Laden's chief goals was to overthrow the Saudi royal family and put in his "own form of fanatical Islam."

Bin Laden, furious at the U.S. troop presence in Saudi Arabia, was stripped of his Saudi citizenship in 1994 for alleged activities against the royal family.

Egypt has long tried to contain Islamic militant activity within its borders.

Bush and senior government officials have stressed consistently the war against terrorism is not a battle against Islam or any other religion.

McCain said Saudi Arabia and Egypt should make an effort to point out to their populations that the United States had helped Muslims in three recent conflicts -- in the Gulf War, in Kosovo and in Bosnia.

"We sided with the Muslims, the Saudi people should know that and in the Middle East," said McCain.

The United States has detained several Saudi citizens since the Sept. 11 attacks and U.S. and other Western officials believe many of those who carried out the aerial assaults were Saudis.

Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it had found no evidence that Saudi citizens were connected to the Sept. 11 attacks, but was still waiting for information from Washington.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef also dismissed reports of a split in the Saudi government over the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan and said the kingdom's security was secure.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001

Answers

Well, according to some gov't officials, the Chinese and Russians are our "allies" in the war against terrorism. . . .

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001

The Russians and Chinese are not our allies and never have been. They will give us some minimal cooperation when it suits their own purpose. But always, underneath, they are only going to do what is best for themselves, period. Got to watch them like a hawk. Either one of them will stick a knife in your back. Look what the Chinese did to that surveillance plane of ours. And the Russian mafia/politicians have made off with billions of our aid money. If it wasn't for that Olympic bid the Chinese would be at our throats.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001

And that's my point about the McCain and Lieberman "partnership," Gordon. Allies, humph.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2001