by Jerry Gordon

President Bush lands in Israel today to celebrate its 60th ‘birthday’. Israel is America’s only steadfast democratic ally in the Middle East. Israel is the literal ‘canary in the mines of Islamist terrorism seeking to destroy it and the center of Western values. On Friday President Bush goes to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to visit with King Abdullah in recognition of the 75th anniversary of US-Saudi relations. Few Americans realize that The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932.

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC, 9th Dist.) leads the bi-partisan House Anti-Terror Caucus. She is the author of the “Wake Up America” agenda that focuses on the rise of Islamist Wahhabi doctrine supported by the Saudi Government and exported to America and around the globe.

On May 5th, Rep. Myrick wrote President Bush asking him to intercede with the Saudi Government to address the core concerns in the “Wake Up America” agenda released on April 18th.

The following are excerpts from Myrick’s letter to President Bush:

….I strongly urge you to raise my concern regarding the use of textbooks that are sanctioned by the Saudi Government for use within the country and around the world that preach hatred and violence toward non-Muslims and western ideals of Liberty.

While Saudi Arabia is our ally in the Global War on Terrorism, the textbooks used to educate their children, as well as some of our children who attend schools receiving Wahhabi-funds, are spreading a dangerous ideology that attacked us on 9/11 and continues to threaten the United States and its allies around the world. As more young Saudi citizens take part in the scholarship student visa program, we must be sure that we are not permitting Saudi citizens into our country who seek to do us harm, as we saw with the fifteen hijackers from Saudi Arabia who attacked us on 9/11.
In pursuance of religious toleration, I respectfully urge you to seek reciprocity with our R-1/R-2 visa program that allows clergy to come and preach within the United States. I believe it is essential to a true dialogue between religions to allow clergy to come and speak to foreign audiences. No one should be prohibited from entering a country based on their religious beliefs.

As we continue to work with the Saudi Arabian Government, it is essential that they end their practice of exporting terrorism. Reports claim that the Saudi rehabilitation program of released Guantanamo detainees conditions the release on agreement not to attack within Saudi Arabia. If true, this is obviously detrimental to defeating the jihadist ideology that inspires our enemies.

We hope that President Bush understands the import of Rep. Myrick’s letter and will address these issues when he meets informally with King Abdullah at his horse ranch.