The Saudi-U.S. connection

I was dismayed by the commentary (“Mortgaged to the House of Saud,” by Robert Scheer, Opinion, Aug. 9) and its accusations against Saudi Arabia at a time when Saudis are engaged in a fierce fight on all fronts against terrorism and extremism, promoting dialogue among Saudis on what’s the best approach for a democratic process that would take into consideration our leadership for the Arab and Islamic world, promoting women’s rights and their contribution to their society in our proud and rich culture, and to be harmonious with our tribal background.

For Scheer’s information, Saudis stripped Osama bin Laden of his Saudi citizenship in 1994, were attacked by terrorism in 1995 and still suffer the most from such evil phenomenon. Yet we continue asking ourselves who’s benefiting from such unfair journalism against Saudi Arabia in the American media.

KHALID ALSAEED

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Scheer has it absolutely right. Last week, photos circulated of Dick Cheney gazing beatifically at new Saudi King Abdullah, amid the gold-trimmed marble splendor of his palace where Cheney, Colin Powell and former President George H.W. Bush traveled to pay court to the medieval rulers of Saudi Arabia.

While we have shed our young soldiers’ blood, depleted our financial reserves and run up a debt that will haunt our great-grandchildren, Saudi oil export revenues have greatly increased since 2001, and Halliburton and the oil companies in the United States have seen record profits. It seems to me that Americans should consider it their patriotic duty to stop driving gas-guzzlers and demand automakers produce more hybrids and fuel-efficient cars, and that U.S. industry declare an economic war on these energy bandits (foreign and domestic) by using American ingenuity to conserve energy in every aspect of life.

ANNE FARRELL

Del Mar