In developing a new plan for national defense in the post 9/11 world, we must examine all the causes that led up to that tragic day.  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is supposed to be one of our closest allies in the Middle East, but fifteen of the nineteen hijackers responsible for 9/11 were Saudi Arabian nationals.

The United States must condemn state actions that promote terrorism, so I have decided to cosponsor House Concurrent Resolution 242 which condemns intolerant and anti-American teaching in Saudi schools.  The government of Saudi Arabia has tolerated an education system that has been encouraging intolerance and promoting anti-American and anti-Semitic views for decades.  The interpretation of Islam taught in Saudi schools is neither mainstream nor peaceful, but rather encourages an approach to this normally peaceful religion that makes Saudi youth vulnerable to recruitment by militant extremist groups, such as Al Qaeda.