Bob Woodward: Saudi Arabia, Bush made oil price deal

Bob Woodard, the journalist who broke the Watergate scandal, has accused the Saudi government of doing a deal with President George W. Bush, which would have seen the Middle Eastern nation lowering oil prices before the 2 November US presidential election.

Speaking in a TV interview to promote his new book on the war in Iraq Plan of Attack, Woodard said, “Bandar wanted Bush to know that the Saudis hope to fine-tune oil prices to prime the economy in 2004. What was key, Bandar understood, were the economic conditions before a presidential election.”

“A drop in the oil price would strengthen the US economy ahead of the election in which Bush will face Democratic Senator John Kerry,” added Woodward.

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