Thomas Barrack, Jr. is a friend of Trump and has been an advisor to the campaign. He even appeared on LBC-TV in Lebanon to sing the praises of Trump. Barrack is of Lebanese origin, and he grew up in the US and went to school here. He discovered early the benefit of business with Saudi princes, so he learned Arabic after college and becomes an advisor to various Saudi princes, which opened financial doors for him. He wrote an article today about foreign policy and the UAE-shop, Arab American Institute, was promoting it. He says in it: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been our longest and strongest ally and, to many Westerners’ amazement, it is impossible for the US to move against any hostile Islamic group anywhere in the world without Saudi support. Almost two billion Muslims look to Mecca and Medina as their spiritual heartland and challenging any faction of Islam without the support of its guardian, Saudi Arabia, would be foolhardy.
The Saudis are reliable defenders of the West’s diverse interests in the region, and have been America’s principal ally in the Middle East for more than seventy years. The confused notion that Saudi Arabia is synonymous with radical Islam is falsely based on the Western notion that “one size fits all.” Fundamentalists supporting the Islamic State in the Kingdom violate the rule of law at home, and the Saudis’ strong efforts to prevent the export of terrorism. Saudi senior leaders desire good relations with the West and see the Islamic State and Jihadist terrorism as threatening to their very rule. Through the safeguarding of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, which remain open to tens of millions of foreign visitors and differing Islamic beliefs, the Kingdom has a unique window into the actions and motivations of radical fundamentalists who pass in and out of those always accessible cities. By sharing that intelligence, the Saudis greatly enhance America’s security."
