“Similar To America's Vietnam Debacle”: Former Saudi Intelligence Chief On Latest War In West Asia
“The Arab peace initiative is the only viable alternative to this bloodbath. Israel should seize it with all that it can muster of political, economic, and military might. Similar to America”s Vietnam debacle, Israel just suffered its own “Tet Offensive’,” said Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, former Saudi Intelligence chief and ambassador to US.
While speaking at “Chaos in Energy Markets Then and Now: 50 Years After the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo” conference at Baker Hall on October 17, the former ambassador compared the latest escalation in the West Asia after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 to the Vietnam War, Prince Turki remarked that the US” losses in its involvement in the Vietnam War led to then president Lyndon B. Johnson not running for reelection.
“Whether (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will resign, we”ll have to wait and see,” the scholar-diplomat said in the now-viral video.
Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to the late King Faisal, Prince Turki was educated at Princeton, Cambridge and Georgetown universities. He had also attended London University. Apart from US, he was also the Saudi Ambassador to UK.
In his speech, Prince Turki talked extensively about the oil industry and the politics surrounding it. But, what stood apart was his concluding remarks in which he talked about the war in West Asia.
Here are the top quotes from Prince Turki’s address at the conference organized by the Baker Institute:
“All militarily occupied people have a right to resist their occupation, even militarily.”
“I do not support the military option in Palestine. I prefer the other option: civil insurrection and disobedience. It brought down the British Empire in India and the Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe.”
“Israel has overwhelming military superiority and we see in front of our eyes the devastation and oblivion it is bringing to the people of Gaza.”
“I categorically condemn Hamas”s targeting of civilian targets of any age or gender as it is accused of. Such targeting belies Hamas”s claims to an Islamic identity. There is an Islamic injunction against the killing of innocent children, women, and elders. The injunction is also against the desecration of places of worship.”
“I also condemn Hamas”s gifting the higher moral ground to an Israeli government that is universally shunned, even by half of the Israeli public, as fascist, miscreant, and abhorrent. I condemn Hamas for giving this awful government the excuse to ethnically cleanse Gaza of its citizens and bombing them to oblivion.”
“I condemn Hamas for further undermining the Palestinian Authority as Israel has been doing. I condemn Hamas for sabotaging the attempt of Saudi Arabia to reach a peaceful resolution to the plight of the Palestinian people, but equally I condemn Israel”s indiscriminate bombing of Palestinian innocent civilians in Gaza and the attempt to forcibly drive them into Sinai. I condemn Israeli targeted killing and the indiscriminate arrest of Palestinian children, women, and men in the West Bank. Two wrongs don”t make a right.”
“I”ve been hearing a repeated phrase in American media: unprovoked attack. What more provocation is required to make it provoked than what Israel has done to the Palestinian people for three-quarters of a century.”
“I refer you to the article in the Middle East Monitor of Feb. 17, 2014, under the title: ‘Israeli army veterans admit role in massacre of Palestinians in 1948’ read it and weep as I did.”
“Just this year, from May to July, over 450 Palestinians were killed, including 67 children. This bloodletting must stop.”
“I condemn Israel”s sealing of Palestinian lands. I condemn Israeli colonists for rampaging through houses of worship in Al-Alqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.”
“I condemn Israel for destroying Palestinian homes and olive orchids.”
“I condemn Israel for incarcerating Palestinian women, children and men in concentration camps without recourse to due process.”
“I condemn Israel”s targeted killings and assassinations of Palestinians.”
“I condemn Israel for funneling Qatari money to Hamas, the terrorist group as defined by Israel.”
“I condemn Western politicians for shedding tears when Israelis are killed by Palestinians, but refuse to even express sorrow when Israelis kill Palestinians.”
“There are no heroes in this conflict. Only victims.”
