Saudi's Secrets Sustained

Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Published: Aug 06, 2003

Saudi's Secrets Sustained

What's with the super secrecy over Saudi Arabia?

First, twenty-eight pages of a congressional report about September 11 were blacked out, supposedly for national security reasons, because there was much in there about Saudi Arabia's role in the terror attack.

A senior Treasury Department official promised a Senate committee he would provide names of Saudi individuals and organizations with possible ties to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Now, that promise has been rescinded. The official first said the material is not classified. Then the treasury said it is classified.

Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter says he may seek a subpoena for the information. He should. The administration says it is trying to protect ongoing investigations into the way terrorism is financed.

But we already know how they did it. They infiltrated our country. They used charities to launder money and much, if not all, of the money came from Saudi Arabia.

Senator Specter and the rest of the committee deserve the names. If they are not forthcoming, a subpoena is certainly warranted.

I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.

Saudi's Secrets Sustained