[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 173 (Monday, November 24, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S15804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S15804]]
   JAMES OBERWETTER'S SELECTION TO BE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am deeply disappointed by the 
President's choice of James Oberwetter to be the next U.S. Ambassador 
to Saudi Arabia. My disappointment does not stem from doubts about Mr. 
Oberwetter's integrity or professional accomplishment. Indeed, in both 
categories he has my respect and admiration. However, I simply do not 
believe that Mr. Oberwetter possesses the proper experience to assume 
what has become one of the most important posts in our Nation's fight 
against terrorism. And while I will not stand in the way of Mr. 
Oberwetter's appointment, I believe it is important that the record 
show that the President's choice could certainly have been better.
  Saudi Arabia is one of the primary battlegrounds in the war on 
terror. This is not simply because 15 of the 19 hijackers from 9/11 
were Saudi. Top anti-terror officials tell us that Saudi Arabia is also 
a hub for terrorist financing and extremist incitement. The 
inflammatory content of its educational textbooks promotes anti-
American sentiment in the Kingdom and its support for extremist 
madrassas schools in Pakistan, southeast Asia and Africa gives life to 
institutions that are incubators for the next generation of terrorists 
abroad.
  Given this sad state of affairs, there are several reasons why Mr. 
Oberwetter should not be our nation's next Ambassador to the Kingdom of 
Saudi Arabia. First, he has absolutely no official diplomatic or anti-
terror experience. As I have said many times before, we live in a post-
9/11 world where the old rules simply do not apply. Given that Saudi 
Arabia is one of the most important fronts in the war on terror, our 
top representative there can no longer be a run-of-the mill political 
appointee; rather, the American Ambassador to Saudi Arabia must be a 
seasoned diplomatic expert and someone with an extensive background in 
combating terrorist financing and religious extremism.
  Mr. Oberwetter's more than 25 years as an oil industry insider 
provide him with no background to assume this key position in the fight 
against terrorism. Indeed, his oil industry pedigree is another reason 
why he is an inappropriate choice to serve as Ambassador. While I have 
no doubts about Mr. Oberwetter's personal integrity, his proximity to 
the oil industry suggests that commercial rather than security 
interests appear to have taken precedence in the administration's 
decisionmaking.
  I simply do not understand this business-as-usual approach to 
diplomatic appointments when American lives are at stake. Surely there 
is someone more qualified than an oil executive that we could choose 
from the distinguished ranks of our Nation's diplomatic and security 
corps to occupy this important post in the war on terror. Mr. 
Oberwetter's nomination is a disappointment and does a disservice to 
our national security.

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