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The Spectacle Blog
The Sensitive Saudis: They Want Democracy for Everyone Else
The House of Saud stands with America for liberty in Syria
How nice. Saudi Arabia’s totalitarian dictatorship, also known as the House of Saud, is for democracy. Elsewhere. Like Syria.
Reported the Associated Press:
After a series of meetings in the Riyadh, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters at a joint news conference that Assad must understand that recent scud missile attacks on regime foes in the city of Aleppo would not be tolerated by the international community and that he had lost all claim to be Syria’s legitimate leader.
Ah yes, to be a “legitimate leader,” like the Saudi king, who is in charge because he was elected, er, because he was uniquely talented, er, because he allowed his people the liberty to run their lives, er, because … well, because he was one of the many geriatric sons of the guy who originally seized power decades ago. Yes, speaking of “legitimacy”!
One wonders how the “legitimate leader” of Saudi Arabia would react if the people started protestingthere as in Syria. There’s no indication that the Saudi royals would be any more inclined to yield power than was Bashar al-Assad and his cronies. And if there ever is shooting in the streets of Riyadh, would Washington remember its professed commitment to democracy?
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More Blog Posts by Doug Bandow
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/03/05/the-sensitive-saudis-they-want
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Sean| 3.5.13 @ 7:23AM
How would our government respond to an armed rebellion? Would it try to peacefully negotiate? Would it give up power peacefully? I doubt it, they would fight to the bitter end just like in Syria.
wombat1| 3.5.13 @ 11:45AM
Saudi Arabia still executes people for witchcraft.
We should cut them loose the first chance we get.
Dimitry_Aleksandrovich| 3.5.13 @ 3:58PM
All though we don't always see eye to eye Mr. Bandow I commend you on realizing and exposing the hypocrisy of the Wahhabist Saudi regime. However lets not kid ourselves that they are "for democracy" outside their own borders. They may pay democracy lip service but their real goal is the establishment of a Wahhabist Caliphate and the establishment of the Wahhabist interpretation of Shariah law throughout the region. You won't find them promoting democracy in any place where Sunni Muslims are not dominant. Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia have no rights just as Coptic Christians under Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood government have no rights and are persecuted. In Libya, Coptic Christian merchants are subject to torture and Wahhabists are burning off tatoos of crosses with acid. We can expect no different for Syria's minorities should the FSA (and its Islamist elements such as Al Nusra) prevail with the help of the West.