Charlie Rose

ShalomFreedman  03/02/2012 08:29 AM Report

Money buys influence and not always in democratic ways. Alwaleed bin Talal 's twenty -million dollars to Harvard paid for a Middle Eastern Studies program which tilts anti- Israel.

grice  02/14/2012 08:53 PM Report

I found this interview fascinating. He stands in a difficult position, but one that gets my respect. He should tour the nation giving lectures on the nuanced situation in the Middle East and the ways to deal with Iran so that other nations get what they want. His analysis of his own country's delicate situation in the face of modernity struck me as well-stated and clear. I smiled at Mr. Rose's effort to force him to denounce Fox News network and his refusal. In general, interviews with people like this amount to primary research, rather than secondary. They open minds still able to admit new ideas. The interview led me to explore options I would not otherwise have explored. Great communicator in my mind. And what a beautiful, articulate wife! More of these, please.

Saultxyca  02/09/2012 03:41 PM Report

Fascinating but difficult to watch — Prince Alwaleed needs to take a deep, calming breath. (Yoga, anyone?) As for the prince's comment about half of the population being idle ... hardly, sir, with all due respect. Also, I did wonder at Alwaleed's use of "interfere." Notice how the Saudi royals are quick to nervously state that they don't speak for the Kingdom ... it can't be easy — clearly.

Ricardo_Amaral  02/09/2012 01:14 AM Report

I noticed that Prince Alwaleed bin Talal unfriended me at Facebook a few days ago.

I don't know which of my postings offended the Prince Alwaleed, but none of my postings were targeted at him or at Saudi Arabia in any way.

I said that Brazil should back up China and Russia latest Security Council veto regarding Syria, because Brazil has a human connection with Syria and Lebanon - Brazil has over 10 million descendents of Syrian/Lebanese and millions of people living in Brazil has close relatives living in Syria.

My posting was from the Brazilian perspective and point of view, and I had no intention of insulting neither Prince Alwaleed and his country Saudi Arabia.

I wish the Prince well, and I would suggest that he sells his Zombie bank investment in Citigroup stock, before that bank need another US taxpayer bailout and another reverse split of 100 to 1.

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OBSERVER  02/08/2012 10:26 PM Report

Very Dear Mr. Charlie,

VITAL! CORRECTIONS, IF I MAY:

-----------------------------

SAUDI ARABIA IS NO ENEMY OF ANY MOSLEM COUNTRY,

INCLUDING IRAN, PERIOD! BECAUSE, MECCA IN SAUDI ARABIA

IS REGARDED AS THE HOLIEST CITY OF ISLAM AND AN

OBLIGATORY PILGRIMAGE SITE FOR ALL MOSLEMS, INCLUDING

IRANIANS, IN THOUSANDS, IF NOT MILLIONS, EACH YEAR.

THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT SELECTIONS OF GUESTS.

Ricardo_Amaral  02/08/2012 06:05 PM Report

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's wife is a beautiful woman.

His fortune is estimated to be worth about US$ 20 billion dollars, but one of his major investments the Citibank/Citigroup stock is nothing to write home about it.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal lost a ton of money in Citigroup stock with the compliments of Robert E. Rubin and his connections to “Goldman Sachs the Pillage People” and their network of thieves.

Citigroup, Inc. (C)

Robert E. Rubin - He joined Citigroup on October 26, 1999 and on January 9, 2009 Citigroup announced he was resigning after being criticized for his performance.

Citigroup price per share

As of October 29, 1999 = $ 28.66 per share

As of March 5, 2009 = $ 1.02 per share

And for this kind of performance Mr. Rubin earned more than $115 million dollars during a decade at Citigroup.

Note: Rubin sparked controversy in 2001 when he contacted an acquaintance at the Treasury Department and asked if the department could convince bond-rating agencies not to downgrade the corporate debt of Enron, a debtor of Citigroup. Rubin wanted Enron creditors to lend money to the troubled company for a restructuring of its debt. The Treasury official refused.

Robert E. Rubin - Before his government service, he spent 26 years at “Goldman Sachs the Pillage People”* eventually serving as a member of the Board, and Co-Chairman from 1990-1992.

(*) Robert E. Rubin was the Godfather of “Goldman Sachs the Pillage People” the most powerful Mafia family in the United States in every way, and more profitable than any of their peers:

1) Goldman Sachs the Pillage People

2) Lucchese

3) Bonanno

4) Gambino

5) Colombo

6) Genovese

*****

http://www.alternet.org/economy/148160/robert_rubin,_citi_execs_knew_they_were_selling_high-priced_ga rbage_but_got_a_pass_from_regulators/

Citigroup is accused of hiding exposure to more than $40 billion in subprime CDOs while telling investors in 2007 that it had reduced its subprime exposure to $13 billion.

Two Citi execs—former CFO Gary Crittenden and Arthur Tildesley, formerly the head of investor relations—were charged with making misstatements. (The two agreed to pay SEC fines but deny they did anything wrong.)

But when U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle rejected the settlement last month, she asked regulators to consider why more executives weren’t also charged. (As we’ve noted, judges have increasingly challenged regulators’ settlements with big banks and objected to the lenience of the penalties.) The SEC's original suit repeatedly referenced “senior management” who knew about Citi's subprime exposure. The judge told the SEC to name names.

The SEC, in an appendix to its latest filing, named former CEO Chuck Prince and former Chairman Robert Rubin — among others — as the executives who were aware of the exposures that were not disclosed to investors.

*****

Note: March 21, 2011 - New York – Citigroup Inc. today announced a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of Citigroup common stock.

Citi anticipates the reverse stock split will be effective after the close of trading on May 6, 2011, and that Citi common stock will begin trading on a split adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening of trading on May 9, 2011. When the reverse stock split becomes effective, every ten shares of issued and outstanding Citigroup common stock will be automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock without any change in the par value per share. This will reduce the number of outstanding shares of Citigroup common stock from approximately 29 billion to approximately 2.9 billion. Citigroup common stock will continue trading on the NYSE under the symbol "C" but will trade under a new CUSIP number.

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Ellen_Dibble  02/08/2012 03:25 PM Report

The princess said that women had had something like equality in the past, riding camels, driving cars (I'm not sure that's the whole story of equality but anyway), until a rigid-minded group gained sway and created the system of inequality. Mental note to myself: check this out. Anyway, she doesn't think the veil is "to blame," and I tend to think the veil in a sandy desert is basic self-defense, for the eyes, the hair, the nose, the skin. The turban seems to me long enough to be usable for similar purposes. But the issue of 50 percent not working, as the prince put it, I agree, that seems an oversimplification. In the 19th century, before contraception for one thing, but also before washing machines and polyester, before vacuum cleaners and pesticides, before gas stoves and refrigerators, garbage disposals and flush toilets, all that -- housework and mothering was full-time in ways few are old enough to recall. I don't know about Saudi Arabia. Maybe their women are still hauling water, miles and miles every day. If they can afford to take the women out of the homes, to provide self-running residences, then yes. Meanwhile, one can make a virtue of necessity.

Ellen_Dibble  02/08/2012 03:13 PM Report

I learned a lot; I kept thinking if only Romney would tell us this much about being a capitalist in this day and age. Instead I get to hear the gist of it from bin Talal. I was trying to remember the interviews with Iranian ambassadors and businessmen, for comparison. And Turkish. I liked most of what bin Talai stated. A quick look at the web suggests I not take his view as standard Saudi. The web shows his wife went to the University of New Haven, in business administration. Hmm, Obama would say we shouldn't be exporting talent like that, if we can help it. Or should we...

tabs  02/08/2012 03:10 PM Report

Prince Talal is a very bright man, who is well educated, and who has a voracious curiosity about what is happening in the world. That said, the most important thing Prince T said was, "That no economy can grow with 50% of its population being idle (that 50% being women)." The question is does the Prince know that he has stumbled upon Gods sledge hammer? For the Prince has spoken the truth that is as undeniable and unshakable as Moses Burning Bush. In the Kings council one speaks of economy, In the Mosque one asks does God not love his sons and daughters equally? For the denier one ask him to stick his left hand out so that one may cut it off while saying, "Since you do not love your left hand as much as your right I will cut it off for you." Then you may tell him to, "Go prosper in the fields with your one hand."

ShalomFreedman  02/08/2012 12:25 PM Report

Alwaleed bin Talal misrepresents the position of 'Hamas' and the Palestinians in general.The Hamas charter not only calls for the destruction of Israel but for the murder of Jews throughout the world. Charlie Rose to my surprise pressed him and asked tough questions. Alwaleed bin Talal

covers up the fundamental truth about Saudi Arabia. This is a regime in which a few thousand 'princes' rule non- democratically over a large population which has no real political expression.

REMant  02/08/2012 12:03 PM Report

Mr Rose wants to know why the Sunni Arabs don't jump when the US and UK tell them too. I think the answer to that ought to be obvious, and it somewhat belies His Highness' answer to the Kagan question. But he is of course heavily invested in Citi (tho his group's Twitter position appears to be minimal). Besides that he also said he thinks the US is not exerting itself much to resolve the Palestine issue.

Americans fool themselves if they think their own govts are significantly different from monarchies. What they have in mind is not monarchy, but aristocracy. It's the same misread of fascism, which they likewise deflect from self-consideration. There's little difference, however, between our present monied elites and 19th century monied elites, except in the area of aristocratic noblesse oblige and useful, productive activity both of which seem to have declined in the past 100 yrs. The latter has been written about at some length by Princeton historian Harold James, (also unsurprisingly an expert on Germany), whom I can't recall ever seeing on this program. Greece and Portugal and maybe Spain are fast becoming German dependencies, which has been the clear winner in all this, if you can call being in that position winning.

I think the prince quite right about Netanyahu's motives, and about Iraq. But not about Iran, and I'm afraid there's a real risk of a catastrophic war between Shia and Sunni that being preciptated by such belligerence. I've never thought Americans had much to fear from the Islamists if they were left alone, and I feel the same way about Iran. Of course, Israel is still a thorn in everyone's side, tho it would be far less so without the political situation in the US, which in the past he and other Saudis have criticized. Giuliani refused his $10 million contribution after 9/11 because of that. You have to make a distinction between those who really do God's will, and those who merely think they do.