WASHINGTON, 18 August 2004 — Stung by criticism about its role in fighting terrorism, Saudi Arabia has launched a radio advertising campaign in 19 US cities citing the Sept. 11 commission report as proof that it has been a loyal ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda.
The two advertisements quote the commission’s conclusion that the Saudi government did not fund Al-Qaeda. One ad cites the report’s finding that Saudi Arabia stopped a 1998 plot to attack US troops; the other cites a finding that Saudis were not flown out of the United States right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Saudi Arabia came under scrutiny almost immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks.
More recently, Saudi Arabia has become a campaign issue. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has repeatedly questioned Saudi Arabia’s commitment to fighting terrorism and accused President Bush of not pressing the issue.
In the hit documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Michael Moore claims the Bush administration helped Saudis flee the United States while American airspace was closed to commercial traffic in the aftermath of the attacks.
The commission found there was no evidence of Saudi flights before national airspace reopened on Sept. 13, 2001 and no evidence of political intervention.
It also found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded” Al-Qaeda.
A Saudi Embassy spokesman, Nail Al-Jubeir, said the commission report “contradicted a lot of these accusations and we just want to make sure that people are aware of this.” He said, though, the ads were not a response to the film or to Kerry’s campaign. 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.”
Al-Jubeir declined to say how much the campaign will cost, though the figure will eventually have to be reported publicly. 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 seen as the best medium for reaching Americans in August, when many people are traveling. The 19 cities were chosen in an attempt to reach the most people within the advertising campaign’s budget.
The cities are 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. The ads can be found at: http://www.saudiembassy.net/Media/Spots.asp
