Rating: 
Summary: Balancing Views for Issues Ubderstanding
Review: The author has addressed an issue that is too often bypassed in this era of "politically correct" information in books&media.
I'd like to see more of this kind of writing! Behind the scenes activities too often go unnoticed..this fine book leaves no room for doubt that petro-dollars have been and are being cillected for use against Western Civilization (which provides these dollars!).
Rating:
Summary: For Danny; for US
Review: This is the chilling story of how Washington sold us out to the House of Saud and directed the CIA, FBI, and all other agencies to look the other way when the Saudis "misbehaved". The CIA, for which Robert Baer worked, was informed in no uncertain terms that if a CIA operative "were to somehow turn over a rock and tattle to Washington [about the Saudis] his next job would be running the basement candy store in Langley."And never mind that the Saudis are currently financing every single terror cell from Chechnya to Kansas to Gaza. (In this book you can discover, among other things, how much the operation in Kansas, USA costs.) And never mind that this is as true today as it was before September 11, 2001. And the same "consent to silence" applies to our "new best friend in the Middle East-Qatar". We know, of course, that Qatar's foreign minister is sending al Qaeda checks on a regular basis but that does not seem to trouble post-9/11 Washington too much. For although this man (called "good Hamad" inside the Beltway) probably paid to have 3,000 people slaughtered on September 11, 2001 he ALSO let Enron close a multi-billion-dollar natural gas deal in Qatar. And for that, the oil tycoons (the people who really run Washington D.C.) are prepared to overlook a few flaws. And when Robert Baer tried to get his former employer, the CIA, to pick up these many-fold threats to our national security; when he e-mailed the CIA the names, places, and targets he got a two word reply from his former bosses: "No interest". Indeed, the only man Robert Baer could find who was interested in yet more Americans being murdered was a young Wall Street Journal reporter named Danny Pearl. Danny never lived to see this book but it is dedicated to him and to "his unrelenting search for truth". It is a book I like to think Danny would have approved of. More importantly, it is a book that any American who wants to make sure that 9/11 does not happen again MUST read.
Rating:
Summary: Crude rules!
Review: In the prologue of Robert Baer's sobering book Sleeping with the Devil, he lays out clearly how vulnerable to terrorist attacks are the intricate networks of Saudi oil extraction, refinement facilities, and the endless spider webs of pipelines to anyone. The Saudi's are painted as helpless against the fundamentalists who are preaching hatred against the West and the House of Sa'ud in their own backyard. In fact, Baer reaffirms that the Sa'ud family is actually paying these fundamentalists off and financing their "raging mosques" and radical religious schools with oil revenues - the now infamous charitable donations. Sort of like - in putting off the inevitable, the Saudis are buying time and yet financing their own demise. Apparently the Sa'ud families have family villas spread out up and down the Rivera to which they plan to escape when the time comes - not to mention fabulous apartments and town houses in Paris, London and Manhattan. Unlike us, they are pragmatic and prepared. Reminds me of a Sufi saying I like: Praise Allah and tie up your camel. Baer makes it very clear that the price of oil - and therefore the entire American economy - is indisputably and irrevocably linked to Saudi oil because "Saudi Arabia sits on 25% of the world's proven resources" and is "maybe barrel per barrel the cheapest oil in the world to extract." So if the terrorist succeed in crippling the Saudi oil supply - multiple possible scenarios of which Baer lays out in detail - the economy in the United States, the financial markets, and basically all global capitalism will go to hell in a hand basket in short order. We will have a depression - big time. Some are guessing oil could go as high as $150 a barrel. Stick that in your SUV. Americans would go ballistic. Remember 1973? What impressed me - and something I had never really grokked before reading this - is that you can bet you bottom dollar, because that's what it would be, that whoever rules the USA gov - be they Republican NeoCons or Liberal Democrats - whoever is in power, will definitely absolutely NOT allow Saudi Arabia to slip away. According to Baer,"Losing it would be like losing the Federal Reserve." Even if that means "we will have to consider seizing the oil fields." In Noam Chomsky's book on Israel, he says that the guys at the Pentagon and the CIA call Israel "our little Sparta". That's pretty clear.
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Summary: If you only read one book on Saudia Arabia...
Review: ...make it this one - and you will understand the world better, understand where terror gets its funding, and learn to despise the mecanics of the Washington/The Gulf States interaction. The top Washington people are just far to close and friendly to Riyadh. The fundamentals are obvious: The US pays billions for Saudi oil - and that money is reinvested by the Saudis in US corporations (mainly defence, aerospace, and Texas oil) - with the help of former US goverment top brass on Saudi pension payrolls, and under the terms of the US not criticizing the Saudis way of mismanaging their country to the (litterary suicidal) outrage of the Arab world. You criticize this system only if you plan on not holding a senior possition in US goverment, politics, or commerce - EVER. Well written and a real world thrillride as well, from places most people never want to go unless they are a CIA caseofficer .
Rating:
Summary: Connects The Terrorist Dots
Review: Fair and impartial, this is written from the viewpoint of the insider. It really connects the terrorist dots and offers true insight into the terrorist mind. It is unnerving in the sense that it exposes the true motives behind Washington's flirtation with the Saudi royals, but as you read it you will begin to understand why we are in Iraq. It pulls no punches and makes no apologies for what it is...the truth! You don't make this kind of stuff up. Should be required reading but be warned, once you read it you will trust no one in government. You may lose some sleep, too.
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Summary: It's all about oil, after all
Review: This book convinces me that our invasion of Iraq was part of a contingency plan that assumes that the the fall of the House of Saud is very likely along with,perhaps, some adjacent oil pumping nations. Given such a fall, it is only reasonable for the oil-dependent U.S. to prepare by taking control of Iraqi oil so that its production can be increased and made fully available to our economy. Clearly,the fall of the House of Saud could have
very serious consequences for our economy, including the withdrawal of the stocks and bonds held by the royal family and the liklihood that Saudi debts to U.S. corporations might not be repaid. This book outlines very well just how fragile the House of Saud is and how close both Bush Administrations are to the royal family. More detail would have been welcome but it is clear
that getting such detail is very difficult, even for a CIA agent.
The book is a "wake-up call" on the order of 9/11 and makes a very strong case for a crash program of developing ways to reduceour dependency on Gulf oil supplies very quickly. Too bad that the Bush Administration has no interest in doing this, preferring that we spend out treasure and blood in Iraq so that our oil-consumptive economy can be continued without a hitch. Not likely, not likely at all.
Rating:
Summary: 6 stars
Review: Another great book by Robert Baer. If you ever wondered why the US is silent on the fact that the saudis continue to finance terrorism abroad and in the US, you need to read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but mostly for hollywood.
Review: Somewhat interesting, but certainly not a source of legitimate reference. The lack of details and sources make it more suitable for a Hollywood movie (a boring one) at best. The book often uses phrases like "member [AAA] of the royal family donated $$$ money to charity [BBB] which [may, could, or potentially] have ended up with terrorist organization [CCC]". Often times, the author's word is all there is to back up the information stated. There are practically no sources cited for many of the royal families stated financial records or transactions, for example. I finished this book with the conclusion that there is corruption in the Saudi governing body and in Washington. Big surprise. The solutions to the Saudi/Washington problem encompassed roughly two-or-three sentences. Nuff said. The flow of the book was a little confusing and could use some smoothing out. Worth reading, but mostly for entertainment and food for thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Plausible explanations, I hope
Review: Until I read this book, I had often wondered why Al Queda chooses symbolic targets for terrorism, instead of much easier and much richer targets that would devastate the Western economy. Now I understand. Ironically, I read this book while our President was vigoruosly protecting the Saudi's reputation after the censored publication of the congressional 9-11 investigation. This book is interesting and thought provoking. It is not particularly well-written; is based largely on anecdote; and contains not one instance of documentation. If the premise of the book is true, I am surprised the CIA allowed it to be published even in its redacted form; if the premise is not true, maybe the book is a disinformation tool. I recommend the book as food for thought, not as an academic source.
Rating:
Summary: Sleeping With The Devil
Review: This is an angry book that ought to make every reader angry. It tells how oil and money from Saudi Arabia have corrupted the U.S. government -- Democrats and Republicans alike -- while Saudi Arabia provides the ideology, the money, and many of the leaders of al-Queda and other terrorist organizations. This dysfunctional kingdom, says the author, is likely to collapse, leaving behind chaos and even worse terrorism. What the U.S. ought to do, he doesn't say, but the beginnings of wise action will come from the knowledge of the citizens about the ties between the Saudi royal family and Washington politicos and pundits.
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