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The Boston Globe
October 12, 2014


Joe Biden is right on in his remarks on extremists

WHEN DID telling the truthbecome a gaffe? Despite White House clarifications, Vice President Biden wasabsolutely right in pointing out the role of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and theUnited Arab Emirates in enabling extremism in the Middle East (“Biden calls keyArab leader to clarify remarks,” Page A4, Oct. 6). Could it be that all thosecalling the vice president’s statement a gaffe or rebutting it have their ownpolitical agendas?

Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan was a great friend and supporter of Syria’s Bashar Assad untilthey had a falling out. Then Erdogan turned a blind eye as extremists from allover passed across Turkey’s border into Syria to fight Assad. And for decades,the Saudis and the Emirates have been bankrolling extremist groups, first toundermine the government of Iraq and then to fight Syria.
The irony is that the sheikshave never understood that the real goal of these extremists is to bite thehand that has been feeding them, by toppling the leaders’ rule in Saudi Arabiaand the Emirates.
The truth might beinconvenient and embarrassing to Turkey, the Saudis, the Emirates, and all thechattering classes, but the vice president is telling it like it is.
Fariborz S. FatemiMcLean, Va.The writer is a former professional staff member atthe House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.