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American Morning

U.S. Should Saudi Arabia To Stop Anti-American Rhetoric In Schools

Aired January 07, 2002 - 08:37   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn now to the war and the roots of terror. Anti-American rhetoric is being taught in the schools of some of our supposed Arab allies. Has President Bush done enough to address this?

Joining us now, from Washington, is Bill Bennett, co-director of Empower America. Good to have you with us on day one of "AMERICAN MORNING." Thank you for joining us.

WILLIAM BENNETT, CO-DIRECTOR, EMPOWER AMERICA: Good morning. Congratulations.

ZAHN: Thank you very much. So, let's talk a little bit about what we've just learned to be the agenda in high schools in Saudi Arabia, as I understand it, from what I've read, everyone is required to take a religion class, covering the topic of who good Muslims should befriend. Their state-sponsored text book goes over several scriptures, addressing the dangers of having Jewish and Christian friends. And then concludes -- quote -- "it is compulsory for the Muslims to be loyal to each other and to consider the infidels of their enemy."

BENNETT: Yeah. Well, H.G. Wells...

ZAHN: How can this be?

BENNETT: H.G. Wells said once, "Life is a race between education and catastrophe." And the opposite of education is miseducation. This can be because this is where the sympathies of many in Saudi Arabia are. Now, Saudi Arabia is supposed to be a friend and an ally, and now a strategic partner, but I think we should, to answer your question directly -- I think we should put more pressure -- a lot more pressure on Saudi Arabia, as a friend and ally -- or supposed friend and ally -- to cut it out. Stop funding these madrasas that teach these poisonous doctrine in their own country.

And they're also a source of funding of this teaching in other countries. In Pakistan, and we find the same thing in Egypt and elsewhere.

ZAHN: So, Bill, where is the outrage?

BENNETT: Well, I think that the outrage in stages. I think we're in the state of outrage about the attack on us, and I think we're now getting into some other questions. We're seeing what's behind a lot of this. And that the roots of terrorism are, of course, in the schools, in the minds of -- the hearts and minds of the young, being taught to them in this growth stock, which is this version of Islam that Osama bin Laden represents.

Now, he's taken a big hit lately because the power of the United States has made a lot of these people shut up. And the notion of the invincibility of bin Laden and al Qaeda and that the U.S. is a paper tiger has certainly put things on hold. But, people are still being taught that freedom and democracy and equality, as represented by the United States and Israel, are the enemy. And that has to stop. At least we have to put pressure on supposed friends and allies to stop it or they lose something.

ZAHN: But as you know, there are folks out there who are highly critical of the Bush administration, specifically on this issue, saying that the Bush administration is so concerned about mollifying Saudi Arabia to keep it in the coalition, that we will not see the United States put the kind of pressure you're talking about on Saudi Arabia.

BENNETT: Well, there are some critics who will always be critics of the Bush administration. And there are others, I think who will look at the situation fairly. I have some disagreements with the Bush administration as well on a few things. But things have to be done in stages. Right now, the main thing is to prosecute this war in Afghanistan. However, while we are doing that, I do think it is fair to argue that we could be putting more pressure on Saudi Arabia than we're doing now and should be.

Take another issue, Paula, which is they're not releasing the names of the people on the airplanes that are flying to this country. Not releasing the manifests. That's ridiculous. Of course they should release those names to us, and they should be told to do it immediately.

ZAHN: So why isn't the U.S. demanding that, Bill?

BENNETT: Well, I don't know. But let's argue that the U.S. should demand that and demand a lot more. I don't mind joining in that notion. I think that we've got the State Department here, with the old notion that if we consider just talking some more about it and not offending our allies that things will go better.

There's one thing we've learned, I think, from this effort in Afghanistan, Paula. And that is that one thing that the Arab street truly does understand is power. And the United States has the power, the ability to be and to make things be, and I think we should insist that not only are we after al Qaeda and people cannot harbor and house al Qaeda, they can no longer harbor and generate the doctrine, the teaching, which gives the fuel to al Qaeda.

ZAHN: I need 15 seconds for the answer here or my producers are going to run me right out of here. How much of the reluctance on the U.S. parts to get pressure on Saudi Arabia has to do with the fact we get so darn much oil from them?

BENNETT: Well, it certainly has a lot to do. And there we could -- the president could come to us in conscience and say, "The price of oil may go up, but the price of that oil, right now, is exacting too great a price from our conscience. I want the American people to be with me. e may have to pay a little more in the short run for oil, but we have to go to Anwar, we have to go to Alaska, but this is a matter of moral principle, which is fundamental."

I think the American people will be with him. If he gets tough on Saudi Arabia, the American people will back him because he will be right.

ZAHN: All right. Bill Bennett, as always, good to see you and thanks for joining us on our debut of "AMERICAN MORNING."

BENNETT: You bet.

ZAHN: Appreciate it. Take care. Jack?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hear hear, good stuff, huh?

ZAHN: It's fascinating.

CAFFERTY: Yeah. It really is.

ZAHN: This story is very complex. Particularly as you look at the role of Saudi Arabia in this coalition.

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