Saudis use 9-11 report in US ad campaign

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Saudis use 9-11 report in US ad campaign
3
Mon, 08-16-2004 - 6:57pm

Hmmm...I wonder which station they'll be broadcast on here.  I'd love to here it.  But still...now we have foreign governments taking out ads???


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107&slug=US%20Saudi%20Ads


Monday, August 16, 2004 · Last updated 3:19 p.m. PT


Saudis use 9-11 report in U.S ad campaign


By KEN GUGGENHEIM
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


WASHINGTON -- Saudi Arabia has begun a radio advertising campaign in 19 U.S. cities citing the Sept. 11 Commission report as proof that it has been a loyal ally in the fight against al-Qaida.


The two advertisements quote the commission's conclusion that the Saudi government did not fund al-Qaida. One ad cites the report's finding that Saudi Arabia stopped a 1998 plot to attack U.S. troops; the other cites a finding that Saudis were not flown out of the United States right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.


A Saudi embassy spokesman, Nail al-Jubeir said the ads tell Americans "these are the facts that your own independent commission has said about Saudi Arabia. You make up your mind."


The ads don't address commission criticism of Saudi Arabia, which the report called "a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism." It said Saudi-funded Islamic schools have been exploited by extremists and, while Saudi cooperation against terrorism improved after the Sept. 11 attacks, "significant problems remained."


Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers. A congressional inquiry into the attacks triggered questions about whether the Saudi royal family had provided money to the hijackers.


More recently, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has questioned Saudi Arabia's commitment to fighting terrorism. In the documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore claims the Bush administration helped Saudi princes and members of bin Laden's family flee the United States while American airspace was closed to commercial traffic in the aftermath of the attacks.


Al-Jubeir declined to say how much the campaign will cost. The ads started running Friday and will continue until Sept. 6. He said the kingdom doesn't plan to run the spots during the Republican National Convention so they don't appear political.


He said radio was considered the best medium for reaching Americans in August, when many people are traveling. The ads are being broadcast in Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Maine; St. Louis; Seattle; Tampa, Fla.; and Washington.


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On the Net:


The ads can be found at: http://www.saudiembassy.net/Media/Spots.asp


Sept. 11 panel: http://www.9-11commission.gov/

    



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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Mon, 08-16-2004 - 7:46pm
I downloaded it...interesting...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 8:05am

The ads didn't change my mind one way or another. I think most of us know there's another side to Saudi Arabia where extremism exists. They know it's a problem but it

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 08-17-2004 - 10:17am

The ads reminded me of