Saudi King, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud. This is the 21st Century. Why can’t Saudis vote?
[Black Star News Editorial]
Saudi Arabia needs a dose of democracy.
The monarchs have become sclerotic with all that oil in the veins and are opposing U.S. initiatives in Syria and Iran.
The Saudi king is reportedly “angry” at the United States because the Obama Administration didn’t bomb Syria after reports that the Bashar Assad regime had used chemical weapons against civilians in August.
Ironically, it’s never been ruled out that Saudi Arabia itself provided weapons to the Syrian “rebels” in a Machiavellian scheme in which the anti-Assad forces, after using the weapons, blames the regime in order to provoke U.S. intervention in the war.
Assad has already admitted to controlling more than 1,000 tons of chemical weapons, which are now being destroyed following a UN-brokered deal pushed by the U.S. and Russia.
Had the U.S. followed the Saudi gameplan and blindly attacked, the “rebels”, could be controlling the country right now. Recently The New York Times reported that the major fighting groups declared allegiance, formally, to al-Qaeda.
Some have been beheading people, dismembering others, consuming body parts including human hearts, and committing mass executions. These practices may not bother the Saudi monarchs, but why would the U.S. want to sponsor such depravity. Charles Taylor , Liberia’s former president, is serving a 50 year sentence because he promoted similar rebel atrocities in the Sierra Leone conflict. Yet the Saudis are proudly sponsoring similar crimes in Syria and are angered that the U.S. has taken a different position.
What’s more, who is naive enough to believe that if these “rebels” were now in power they would agree to have Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile destroyed?
The weapons, mostly likely, would find its way to conflicts in Mali, Libya, Egypt, Iraq and elsewhere. Some could even be turned against Saudi Arabia itself and against Israel.
References to “moderate” rebels are nonsensical. Is there a blood test that determines who so-called “moderates” are? What distinguishes “moderates” from “less-moderates”? They renounce consumption of body parts?
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Saudis were so convinced that the U.S. would bomb Syria that the monarchy asked for the targets so Saudi Arabia could join in the attack. When the strikes didn’t happen the Saudis went ballistic. The overly-indulgent King, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud, and the Princes who run the country, began acting like brats.
The Saudis renounced the coveted seat on the UN Security Council after more than a year of campaigning for it. What’s more, The Wall Street Journal reports that Saudi Arabia’s Intelligence chief, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan al Saud told “European diplomats this weekend that he plans to scale back cooperation with the U.S. to arm and train Syrian rebels in protest of Washington’s policy in the region, participants in the meeting said.”
Elsewhere the Saudis are reported to have said the Kingdom will consider future arms purchases from somewhere other than the U.S. They are also offended because they felt cut out from the U.S. decision not to reach out to Iran for negotiations over its nuclear energy program.
This is peerless Saudi arrogance.
This is an executive monarchy where unelected and unaccountable males determine who gets to live and who gets executed, and who control trillions of dollars worth of a country’s national resources. They don’t have a legislature or independent judiciary; the king’s word is law.
No thanks to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. policy is working. The Assad chemical weapons stockpile is being destroyed and there are plans for November peace talks to end the war and determine a post-conflict regime.
The Saudis should be careful. If millions of ordinary Americans were to find out how they treat their —women –they can’t drive, they can’t vote, they can’t compete in the Olympics, and can’t travel overseas unaccompanied by a male– they could start raising questions about U.S. support for the monarchy with thousands of troops.
Saudi Arabia also has a horrendous human rights abuse record.
Moreover, it’s the country that produced the 9/11 plotters who attacked the U.S.
With a “friend” like Saudi Arabia who needs foes?
The Saudis should remember that the U.S.’s own production of oil has increased phenomenally over the last few years. Oil may not trump everything anymore.
Ease up on the indulgence House of al Saud.
