If one takes a step back and reflects on geo-politics, and politicians in general, the words double standards readily come to the fore. Take but one example. In practical terms the Iranians, like the Iraqis, have done nothing to threaten the Americans. On the other hand the Saudis have in a variety of ways been behind the scenes in various actions against the US and its interests. Of course there are the ever-present oil reserves the Saudis possess.
Whilst the US Administration talks loudly, and often, about democracy, justice, freedoms in all its guises, equality among citizens, etc. etc. one country which essentially possesses none of them is Saudi Arabia. Does that deter George W from visiting his Saudi friends during his current swing through the Middle East? Nope!
As Amitabh Pal, writing in The Progressive "Bush Visits His Odious Saudi Friend" says:
"How do you punish the principal global purveyor of fundamentalist Islam, someone who backed the Taliban and continues to harshly suppress political freedoms, women and religious minorities?
If you’re President Bush, you reward him with a state visit, of course!
During his current Middle East trip, Bush is looking in on a rogues’ gallery of U.S. allies, from Bahrain and Egypt to the United Arab Emirates and Israel. But King Abdullah’s Saudi Arabia occupies the pride of place.
“The government places strict limits on freedom of association, assembly, and expression,” writes Human Rights Watch in its roundup of conditions in the kingdom in 2006. “Arbitrary detention, mistreatment and torture of detainees, restrictions on freedom of movement, and lack of official accountability remain serious concerns. Saudi women continue to face serious obstacles to their participation in society.”
Things haven’t improved since then. In a recent outrageous incident, which received media coverage globally, a woman who was gang-raped was sentenced to 200 lashes because she was meeting with a former boyfriend when they both were abducted and brutalized. The punishment had an undertone of bigotry, too, since the woman was Shiite, a persecuted minority sect under the Wahhabi fundamentalist Sunni rule perpetuated by King Abdullah and his clerics. (In all his benevolence, Abdullah finally pardoned the woman and her ex-boyfriend—sentenced to 90 lashes—after an international uproar.)
In another recent event, the Saudi authorities have jailed an outspoken blogger, Ahmad Fouad al-Farhan. Apparently, he was poking his nose into the detention of political prisoners. The crackdown by Saudi authorities on bloggers like al-Farhan is consistent with their suppression of other forms of independent media. (See the appeal by Reporters Without Borders for his release.)
In November, a Saudi judge sentenced two activists to four and six months in jail, respectively, for the heinous crime of encouraging a public demonstration. And the list goes on."
Whilst the US Administration talks loudly, and often, about democracy, justice, freedoms in all its guises, equality among citizens, etc. etc. one country which essentially possesses none of them is Saudi Arabia. Does that deter George W from visiting his Saudi friends during his current swing through the Middle East? Nope!
As Amitabh Pal, writing in The Progressive "Bush Visits His Odious Saudi Friend" says:
"How do you punish the principal global purveyor of fundamentalist Islam, someone who backed the Taliban and continues to harshly suppress political freedoms, women and religious minorities?
If you’re President Bush, you reward him with a state visit, of course!
During his current Middle East trip, Bush is looking in on a rogues’ gallery of U.S. allies, from Bahrain and Egypt to the United Arab Emirates and Israel. But King Abdullah’s Saudi Arabia occupies the pride of place.
“The government places strict limits on freedom of association, assembly, and expression,” writes Human Rights Watch in its roundup of conditions in the kingdom in 2006. “Arbitrary detention, mistreatment and torture of detainees, restrictions on freedom of movement, and lack of official accountability remain serious concerns. Saudi women continue to face serious obstacles to their participation in society.”
Things haven’t improved since then. In a recent outrageous incident, which received media coverage globally, a woman who was gang-raped was sentenced to 200 lashes because she was meeting with a former boyfriend when they both were abducted and brutalized. The punishment had an undertone of bigotry, too, since the woman was Shiite, a persecuted minority sect under the Wahhabi fundamentalist Sunni rule perpetuated by King Abdullah and his clerics. (In all his benevolence, Abdullah finally pardoned the woman and her ex-boyfriend—sentenced to 90 lashes—after an international uproar.)
In another recent event, the Saudi authorities have jailed an outspoken blogger, Ahmad Fouad al-Farhan. Apparently, he was poking his nose into the detention of political prisoners. The crackdown by Saudi authorities on bloggers like al-Farhan is consistent with their suppression of other forms of independent media. (See the appeal by Reporters Without Borders for his release.)
In November, a Saudi judge sentenced two activists to four and six months in jail, respectively, for the heinous crime of encouraging a public demonstration. And the list goes on."
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