The New York Times has reached a new low in its Middle East coverage. Not only does a 'news analysis' column today parrot a Saudi evasion of responsibility for the destructive consequences of state—sponsored Wahabbism, it helpfully misleads its readers about the true meaning of a phrase increasing employed by the Saudi leadership to mask their complicity in foisting a destructive ideology on the world, via networks of schools, mosques, charities, and, ultimately, terrorists.

Neil MacFarquahr writes on Saudi Arabia's problems with Islamic militants in today's News Analysis section. He opines that Saudi Arabia is struggling about how to overcome decades of officially sponsored Wahabbism but then writes that the

"official line became that the terrorists were infected with an alien ideology, imported by those who fought in Afghanistan or Chechnya, and that the religion espoused by Saudis is a peaceful one.'

What MacFarquahr ignores is the fact that the official line is that Zionism is the alien ideology that has infected Saudis and lead their youth to commit violence!
 
After the May 1,2004  terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia which left seven dead, among them two Americans, Saudi crown prince Abdallah ibn Abd Al—'Aziz, the effective leader of the nation, stated at a gathering of Saudi dignitaries, including top Muslim clerics, that the Zionists were to blame. He states that

"it became clear to us now that Zionism is behind terrorist actions in the kingdom."

Lest anyone doubt that this statement by the de facto ruler of the nation was meant to just placate a few people, the meeting and speech was broadcast on Saudi state—run television.
 
This New York Times ommission is part of their prevailing rules and practices, which are meant to currry favor with the despots of Saudi Arabia. Readers may well remember that Times star columnist Thomas Friedman sipped coffee with anti—Semitic Saudi kleptocrats, and became their foil to promote a much—trumpeted (by the New York Times, anyway) Saudi Peace Plan which called upon Israel to, basically, commit suicide, by allowing unlimited 'right of return' to millions of Palestinians who had never set foot in the State of Israel, enabling them to take over the democratically—elected government.

Perhaps it is time to rename the newspaper "al—Times" so as to better reflect its true nature.