Saudi Interest in America

On Sept. 28, 2001, bin Laden called for financial jihad against the U.S. Although the Saudis claim bin Laden is their enemy, many of them continue to follow his agenda. In an interview with Arab News in May 2002, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said that if the Arabs "unite through economic interests," they would achieve influence over U.S. decision-makers. Government sources estimate Saudi holdings in the U.S. at $400 billion to $800 billion.

Recently the prince purchased 5.6% of voting shares in News Corp., the world's largest publisher of English newspapers. Moreover, Reuters reported on Dec. 5 that the prince announced his plan to "spread the right message" via a new television channel, "The Message," to broadcast to the U.S. within two years. While under the "International Investment & Trade in Services Survey Act," the U.S. Treasury Department tracks foreign portfolios, and Commerce tracks direct investments, this information is unavailable for Saudi Arabia or the Gulf states, at their request.