Emerson, Steven. The American House of Saud: The Secret Petrodollar Connection. New York: Franklin Watts, 1985. 450 pages.

Numerous books have been written on the Israeli influence in U.S. politics, and others have been written on the big oil companies. But this is the first book to look at the power of Arab petrodollars ($661 billion between 1973 and 1984) as they buy their way into a hungry American economy. Unlike the Israeli lobby, which achieves its success with support from American Jews, the Arabs can rely exclusively on the power of money.

BCCI and former Saudi intelligence head Kamal Adham became common fare on network news programs by 1991; both are mentioned in this 1985 book. Emerson had an inside track, because in 1978 he served on the staff of Frank Church's Senate subcommittee investigating Aramco and Saudi oil production. The use of subpoena power eventually persuaded SoCal and Exxon, two of the slimier members of Aramco, to produce some information.

In addition to big oil and other corporate interests, Emerson examines the 1981 Senate vote on AWACs, the role of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (a DC spooktank), PR mercenaries like Robert Gray, and lobbyists such as Frederick G. Dutton and John Carl West. He also includes a chapter on the academic connection, detailing how a little grease in scholarly directions was able to produce impressive results.
ISBN 0-531-09778-1

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