Gore Does It Again

Is there a single prominent Democratic politician who is able to stave off the urge to talk down America when on foreign soil?  The evidence would say no.  The latest is Al Gore, defeated in the 2000 election by the current occupant of the White House.  In speaking at an economic forum in Saudia Arabia, Gore simply couldn't resist the temptation.

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Former Vice President Al Gore told a mainly Saudi audience on Sunday that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not support such treatment.

Gore said Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in "unforgivable" conditions. The former vice president said the Bush administration was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking Saudi visa applications.

"The thoughtless way in which visas are now handled, that is a mistake," Gore said during the Jiddah Economic Forum. "The worst thing we can possibly do is to cut off the channels of friendship and mutual understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United States."

Gore told the largely Saudi audience, many of them educated at U.S. universities, that Arabs in the United States had been "indiscriminately rounded up, often on minor charges of overstaying a visa or not having a green card in proper order, and held in conditions that were just unforgivable."

"Unfortunately there have been terrible abuses and it's wrong," Gore said. "I do want you to know that it does not represent the desires or wishes or feelings of the majority of the citizens of my country."

What the heck is he talking about?  To which abuses is Mr. Gore referring?  Is he talking about Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, neither of which involve Arabs arrested for visa violations?  Does he have example of large numbers of Saudis "indescriminately rounded up?"

This nation should be so down-on-it's-knees eyes-lifted-to-the-heavens grateful that Mr. Gore is not, and was not ever, in charge of defending the nation.  Perhaps he's forgotten that September 11 involved 19 Arab hijackers, of whom 15 were Saudi.  Perhaps he's forgotten that having a visa out of order or an improper green card means that you are in the country illegally.  Perhaps he'd like to identify those large numbers of rounded up Saudis and those "unforgivable" conditions.   Perhaps he's forgotten that there is a terrorist organization made up of primarily Arab Muslim men who have declared war on us - while Mr. Gore was the VP, no less.

In order to make these statements while on Saudi soil Mr. Gore had to ignore all of these facts.  He also had to ignore the current "Cartoon Intifada" to maybe throw gasoline on the fire.  But then, he's just following in his mentor's footsteps.

2/13/06 1130: Scott Johnson at Power Line and Tigerhawk both have thoughts on the illustrious former VP.  From Tigerhawk:

There is simply no defense for what Gore has done here, for he is deliberately undermining the United States during a time of war, in a part of the world crucial to our success in that war, in front of an audience that does not vote in American elections. Gore's speech is both destructive and disloyal, not because of its content -- which is as silly as it is subversive -- but because of its location and its intended audience. He should be ashamed. But he won't be. The leadership of the Democratic party should disavow Gore's Jiddah speech. But it won't.

Well put.

2/13/06 1145: More, with a link roundup, at Michelle Malkin.

2/13/06 1445: Rick Moran has researched the "Arabs rounded-up" part and found the results unimpressive.

Were Arabs detained following 9/11? Why yes they were. According to this Arab-American website, the number could have been 1200, with 725 held on immigration violations, another 100 held for unrelated criminal charges, and 360 detained for possible links to terrorism. And according to the US Census Bureau, there are about 3 million Arab Americans in the United States.

Even if you're impressed by those numbers, remember that this is 2006, five years later, that Gore is speaking.  Have there been Arabs "rounded up" since?  I don't think so.

Comments

[jpe]

Strip away the rhetoric of sedition, and the charges come down to this: Bush was critical of the Bush administration in front of Saudis.

The anger, then, seems to be of the 'keep dirty laundry at home' variety. And to it, I say: eh.

[jpe]

Bush wasn't critical of the Bush admin, Gore was. eesh.

[Giacomo]

Yeah, but I knew what you meant.

It's not so much the "keep the dirty laundry at home" complaint that I have. My problem with it is that his charges are not demonstrably true. That is, where's his evidence that Arabs have been "indescriminately" rounded up? The numbers from Rick Moran's research (see above) would indicate that charge is false. In addition, I have not heard any evidence of "terrible abuses." What "unforgivable conditions" have been maintained for those detained?

So, as I see it, he's going on foreign soil and fomenting anger, or at least reinforcing false impressions, with false charges and not legitimate criticism.