American Values - Gary L. Bauer, President

Gary Bauer In-The-News

Bauer Slams Gore for 'Vitriolic' Anti-American Speech in Saudi Arabia

02/16/2006

AgapePress) - A pro-family activist says former Vice President Al Gore has once again given ammunition to America's enemies by verbally attacking his own country during a recent speech in Saudi Arabia.

The mainstream liberal press has virtually ignored the story. On Sunday (February 12) Al Gore spoke before a predominantly Saudi audience in Jeddah. As Gary Bauer of American Values puts it: "Gore launched a vitriolic attack." But the attack was not against those in the Arab world who have exported radical Islam to the West.

In his speech, Gore claimed that the United States has "indiscriminately rounded up" Arabs since September 11, 2001, and held them in "unforgivable" conditions. New visa processing procedures for Saudis, said Gore, are "thoughtless" -- and the worst thing the U.S. could possibly do is to "cut off the channels of friendship and mutual understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United States."

Bauer wants to know if Gore has ever taken the time to read the September 11th report. "The commission concluded that the hijackers were able to enter the U.S. because of lax immigration and visa enforcement," he notes. "But to Gore the new tougher visa requirements are 'thoughtless.'"

According to Bauer, the former vice president has no problem giving aid and comfort to America's enemies. "He's smearing his country on foreign soil to an audience that no doubt contained many individuals who wish us harm," Bauer offers, "and his comments, probably, have already been broadcast many, many times throughout the Middle East."

It is "extraordinary," adds the American Values spokesman, that "a man who came very close to becoming the president of the United States didn't have any qualms about going to Saudi Arabia and attacking our country for our policies after 9-11."

What makes it even worse, he continues, is that Gore's accusations of abuse are false. "His claims that we've indiscriminately rounded up Arabs and Muslims in the wake of 9-11 and held them in deplorable circumstances is just not true," Bauer says.

The former GOP presidential candidate is not the only critic of Gore's speech. The National Association of Chiefs of Police released a statement accusing Gore of having "crossed the line of diplomatic decency by denigrating his own country within the Islamic world."