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Princes Of Darkness: The Saudi Assault On The West

Princes of Darkness is a highly critical expose of Saudi Arabia and attacks the elite inside that country as enemies of the western world. By extension this is also a criticism of the U.S. foreign policy that has supported the royal family. It should be noted that the genesis of this book comes from the author's intensely controversial and subsequently leaked Defense Department briefing in July 2002, while serving as a senior international policy analyst at RAND.

Hardcover: 327 pages

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.; 1St Edition edition (September 28, 2005)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0742542785

ISBN-13: 978-0742542785

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,406,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #172 in Books > History > Middle East > Saudi Arabia #2728 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Middle Eastern #2930 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Security

In this compulsively readable book, Laurent Murawiec tells us why the Al-Saud family are little more than "Talibans with oil and a good P.R. company." Using striking examples and documented references, he zooms onto facts that have long been known to experts, but are not enough widespread. For instance, the late King Faisal used to give his every visitor a copy of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Senior Saudi clerics regularly issue fatwas that call for the killing of Americans in Iraq. 70% of the jihadis captured in Iraq are Saudis. Saudi madrasas and publishing houses produce school books and other literature that preach slaughtering Westerns as a noble Islamic act. Etc, etc.Murawiec is angry, but he gives us plenty of good reasons to be. He believes, however, that the free pass the Saudis have been given by the West is about to be revoked, by measures such as the Saudi Accountability Act of 2005, for instance. "Monitor their every outrage, scrutinize their policy, put their actions under the microscope. Look at international jihad, its funding, its logistics, its propagandists, its religious leaders and cheerleaders, the media, the recruiters, etc. Look at the Saudi element in each and every one of those aspects. Pin it down, publicize it, make a permanent stink out of it..." A good and useful book.

This book is in a sense of confirmation of and elaboration of the thesis that the present Saudi Arabian regime is a corrupt, anti- Western, religiously fanatic one which suppresses its own people and threatens the fundamental interests of the world's democracies. This thesis has been developed by among others, Dore Gold, in 'Hatred's Kingdom' ,Gerald Posner in "Secrets of the Kingdom" and John R. Bradley in 'Saudi Arabia Exposed".Murawiec a career diplomat has however special insight into the processes of diplomatic corruption especially within the State Department. He cites the present ruler of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdallah's remark that ' taking care of career diplomats when they finish the service' is the best introduction and incentive to new diplomats as to how to act in regard to Saudi Arabia. Murawiec thus points to the tremendous amount of corruption done by Saudi money within the realm of the U.S. government.He is a strong advocate of a new policy toward Saudi in which the US would get tough with the Monarchy. It would insist on end to anti- Western and US propaganda in the schools, an end to the training of ' fighters' many of whom make their way into Iraq to attack American soldiers. It would insist on true reforms within the Saudi regime, and an end to its vast support network for Terror throughout the world.Murawiec believes the Saudis control over the oil market has led to a great increase in the poverty of the poorest nations. While he does not advocate, what might seem , the most logical step for stablizing world oil markets, the takeover of Saudi oil by a US led democratic coalition he does insist that the present situation is one which threatens to lead disaster to the world - economy as a whole.This is a timely wake- up text about a corrupt Middle Eastern regime which unfortunately has been corrupting US diplomacy and foreign policy for decades.

Mr. Murawiec's book is a detailed account of Saudi practices and policies. He names names; provides dates; and gives a blow by blow analysis of why the House of Saud, the ruling oligarchy of Saudi Arabia is an avowed enemy of the West and of the United States of America.One can sense the frustration that Mr.Murawiec feels at the duplicity and outright evil machinations of the Saudis. This often comes out in a rather sneering tone in this book, which undermines the passionately real data that he gives over. It is one thing to castigate the al-Saud regime for financing and manipulating the terrorism of radical Islam all over the world, it is another thing to add the figurative "And I spit on you," that Mr. Murawiec often implies.Nonetheless, this book is a complete and detailed list of the House of Saud's damning sins and manipulations. I would suggest that these other equally resourceful books should accompany any reader's analysis of Saudi Arabian history; goals; and political policies:Hatred's Kingdom : How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism - by Dore GoldThe Age of Sacred Terror : Radical Islam's War Against America - by Daniel Benjamin and Steven SimonAnd (really - it's a decent, factual book that pulls no punches yet does not villify Saudi Arabia),The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Saudi Arabia by Colin Wells

The author lays out a great deal of densely-detailed information about the intertwining of extreme fundamentalist Islam, Saudi royal culture and arrogance, oil, politics, and influence-buying. He makes an effective, infuriating case for the incestuous relationship the House of Saud has with leaders -- male leaders -- of US government and corporations. Murawiec convincingly points out how badly that is going to bite us in our vulnerable national rump very soon, and that leading politicians from both parties have no investment in doing anything about the looming mess. (They have invested elsewhere, using money generously donated by the Sauds.)It is not 'balanced' or 'even-handed,' but frankly, I haven't seen a single book about Saudi-US relations, or Saudi royal leadership, which has anything positive to say. There may just be a very good reason for that. (After I read this I happened to pick up Jean Sasson's "Princess" about the appallingly restrictive lifestyle of even royal Saudi women -- hard to imagine two more different books with the same essential message and impact: at times both had me so angry I was nauseous.The style is choppy and occasionally hard to follow, probably due to the translation from French. I also got the feeling he had to work to make the book a little broader than his usual think-tank analysis, and as a result he has an odd mix of solid sources and rather lighter-weight sources. Bottom line, definitely worth reading.

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