Madam, - I read with interest David Leigh's comments on Craig Unger's book House of Bush House of Saud (Opinion, July 30th). Leigh argues that it is about a conspiracy, though the book aims to expose the incompetence and silver spoons in the Bush Administration. Given that Europe seems to be enslaved to the Bush administration's decisions, doubtless his questions are important for us too.
Your readers may be interested to know that Bill Clinton, in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, adds the weight of his authority to Unger's point about the baffling evacuation of rich Saudis after 9/11:
"As somebody who's been in the business of making decisions, to me the most powerful question presented was whether it was appropriate to send the bin Ladens (out of the country) - and the other Saudis - without interrogating them first. There's no question that most of his family deplores what he did. But, on the other hand, it's highly likely that somebody knew something that could be of value".
John Kerry did not see a conspiracy either when, to many people's surprise, he amplified Craig Unger's concerns in his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention: "I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation - not on the Saudi royal family". (Italics added.)
Any author, one imagines, is delighted when his book is taken seriously by people as varied as politicians and entertainment specialists such as Michael Moore. - Yours, etc.,
MARTIN RYNJA,
Publisher,
Gibson Square Books Ltd,
London N1.