A longtime U.S. client. Often charcterized as "moderate" in US Newspeak. "Obediant" in plain English. Guardian, NYT Paint Power-Grabbing Saudi Dictator as Roguish, Visionary 'Reformer' FAIR.org The Kingdom even has its own defacto PR agent at The Washington Post. David Ignatius' 15 Years of Running Spin for Saudi Regime FAIR.org And is also partnered with Vice News. Saudi Arabia Sought Vice's Help to Build a Media Empire Wall Street Journal Time‘s headline (4/23/19) accepts the reality of the Saudi government charges against the people it executed–which weren’t even the actual charges they were convicted under.
Beyond disgusting and these people after the US and Israel being top allies to each other are each countries next best I know they have at least one saudi woman they want to kill too. The one I am thinking of also I believe is Shia and is guilty of protesting for human rights.
I can't bring myself to click play..ever since I saw that one beheading video right after 911 I haven't ever been able to click play
Three prominent moderate Saudi Sunni scholars held on multiple charges of “terrorism” will be sentenced to death and executed shortly after Ramadan, two government sources and one of the men’s relatives have told Middle East Eye. The most prominent of these is Sheikh Salman al-Odah, an internationally renowned scholar known for his comparatively progressive views in the Islamic world on Sharia and homosexuality. Odah was arrested in September 2017 shortly after tweeting a prayer for reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbour Qatar, three months after Riyadh launched a blockade on the emirate. The other two slated for execution are Awad al-Qarni, a Sunni preacher, academic and author, and Ali al-Omari, a popular broadcaster. They too were arrested in September 2017. 'They will not wait to execute these men once the death sentence has been passed' - Saudi governmental source All three had massive followings online. Odah's Arabic Twitter account boasts 13.4 million followers alone, and the hashtag #freesalmanalodah emerged after his arrest. Omari’s TV station “For Youth” also had a huge audience. Two Saudi government sources independently confirmed the plan to execute the three men, who are currently awaiting trial at the Criminal Special Court in Riyadh. A hearing was set for 1 May, but was postponed without setting a further date. One source told MEE: “They will not wait to execute these men once the death sentence has been passed.” A second Saudi government source said the execution of 37 Saudis, mostly Shia activists, on terrorism changes in April was used as a trial balloon to see how strong the international condemnation was. “When they found out there was very little international reaction, particularly at the level of governments and heads of state, they decided to proceed with their plan to execute figures who were prominent,” said the source, who like the first spoke on condition of anonymity. The timing of the executions will also be dictated by the current rise in tensions between the United States and Iran. “They are encouraged to do it, especially with the tension in the Gulf at the moment. Washington wants to please the Saudis at the moment. The [Saudi] government calculates that this enables them to get away with this,” the first source said.
https://www.justsecurity.org/57908/saudi-arabia-countering-terrorism-chimera-rights-abuses/ ......We are particularly concerned at the wide and nefarious definition of terrorism contained in Saudi Arabia’s domestic legislation. The 2014 law had a very broad definition of terrorist crimes. It encompassed any act “directly or indirectly intended to disturb the public order of the state, or to destabilize the security of society, or the stability of the state, or to expose its national unity to danger, or to suspend the basic law of governance or some of its articles, or to insult the reputation of the state or its standing, or to inflict damage upon one of its public utilities or its natural resources.” The report of the Special Rapporteur notes that: Anyone, whether Saudi Arabian or a foreign national, whether inside the country or abroad, who is accused of such conduct could be prosecuted as a “terrorist” inside Saudi Arabia. This included those who attempted to “change the ruling system in the Kingdom” or “harmed the interests, economy, and national and social security of the Kingdom.” Under such a broad definition, anyone challenging the authority or policies of the state could qualify as a terrorist.
Not broad at all, really. The American definition makes Saudi's seem like the point of a pin in comparison. The invasion of Irak needed the cooperation of UN members in order to be legal. It never got that support but there it is. For those who do not remember I'll repeat it for you: "Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists!"
Here you go. Compare away. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2331 I should add that the US does play fast and loose with the definition internationally, especially concerning our military where civilian deaths are concerned. However, what Saudi Arabia is doing is executing people at home through the judicial system for non-violent acts.
I understand that. But while we are making comparisons we might pause to make one more: The Saudi executions compared with the Ameican murder of millions of innocent men, women, and children across South-East Asia and the Middle East motivated by spinning the definition of "terrorist" and "enemy", either of the state (as in K.S.A.) or of international interests (as in the U.S.) So, I disagree that K.S.A. wields the broader definition of the term and I believe there have been many more deaths attributed to American treachery than that of the K.S.A.
Iran leads the Middle East in executions. Executions were especially common in the early years of the Islamic Republic - from June 1981 through June 1985 "the courts sentenced more than 8,000 opponents to death" (Wikipedia). Iran still carries out 60% of all excutions in the Middle East compared to 17% for Saudi Arabia. The numbers seem to be decreasing, from 977 in 2015 (the United States executed 27 that year) to 507 in 2017 (the US number was 25). The population of Iran is 80,000,000 compared to 300,000,000 for the United States. While China executes more people than Iran its population is much larger. "Iran is believed to execute the most people per capita" (Wikipedia). Iran is also one of the few countries that still executes minors. Amnesty International reported that in May 2009, Iran had 137 juveniles awaiting execution - the majority of them on drug-related charges. One of the worst examples of Iranian justice occurred in 2006 when 16 year-old Atefeh Sahaaleh was hanged for "crimes against chastity." That is, she was hanged for having sex. Her partner, 51 yeay-old Ali Darabi, was given 95 lashes and released - in Iran sex crimes are usually considered the female's fault. Iran also hangs homosexuals, and employs exetreme violence against demonstrators. In 2009 there were huge protests over what was considered a rigged election. Over 3,000 people were arrested. Gangs of government sponsored thugs attacked the demonstrators. Iran admitted 25 people were killed, but opposition leaders said the actual number was 72. Among those murdered was Neda Soltan, a 26 year-old music student. She was shot by a government thug while simply watching a demonstration. Her death was captured on video by a bystander and shocked people around the World. I remember seeing her fall backwards with an amazed look on her face, and then blood pouring out of her mouth over her face as she gasped her last few breaths. After what many believed was a shameful delay, even President Bararack Obama felt obliged to comment on events in Iran. On June 23rd he said "The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days." Obama said "I strongly condemn these unjust actions and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost." Obama generally had his lips attached to the ayatollahs' posteriors, so these words were highly unusual for him. Speaking of the video of Soltan's death then being shown Obama said "It's heartbreaking, It's heartbreaking. And I think that anybody who sees it knows that there's something fundamentally unjust about that." Of course, no actions followed these words. Dr. Arash Hejazi, who had treated Soltan as she lay dying, fled the country after the video was shown because he was in it and assumed the government would kill him too for treating her. Amnesty International called 2018 Iran's "Year of Shame" for the governments crack down on dissidents. During the year more than 7,000 protestors, journalists, human rights defenders and students were arrested. At least nine of these died under susicious circumstances in prison. The government also killed 26 demonstrators.
I don't disagree with much of that except that the US does not execute its citizens for non-violent offences. That's a difference with a distinction IMO; one that should not be overlooked regardless of our offences abroad. You may think that position to be hypocritical, but we have to start somewhere. As for us (the US), our comeuppance is overdue.
True-True. I suppose so. It is no consolation to relatives of the millions of innocent men, women, and children who are buried. Yes. I only jumped into the middle of your dialogue with reference to the broadening definition of terrorism and how it is used to justify murder on a grand scale.
In fairness to the Saudis - a quick beheading is probably a more merciful death than the lethal injection. I know which I'd prefer. This aversion governments seem to have to just walking up and blowing their head clean off with 00 buckshot is something i'll never understand.
I've seen ISIS videos of beheadings they carried out. They didn't come from above with a sword - they came from below the neck of the kneeling prisoner with a large knife and slowly cut through the neck from the front to the back. Very grisly. Very bloody. Children sometimes participated in the executions. I also saw the video of when they burned to death a captured Jordanian pilot. The Jordanians carried out an air strike against ISIS in retaliation for this execution. It was this bombing which supposedly killed Kayla Mueller, the American aide worker captured by ISIS and held as a sex slave by them.
This is an article on the three men facing death. It illustrates the facade that Bin Salmon pulled about making KSA more moderate. The deaths of these three for being such being an excellent example and it eventually comes to the conclusion that there is only one man who can stop the Saudi killing spree https://www.middleeasteye.net/opini...-mohammed-bin-salmans-execution-spree-will-he At a time when everyone keeps saying Trump is all bark and no bite that is a thought provoking article. Thing is no question the Christian Zionists who are his base want the Saud's support for Israel and the destruction of Iran. Is it them, Bolton. Pompeo or others, whispering in Trumps ear. It is time for Trump to take control of his own Presidency and if he does that then it is time for people to put responsibility where responsibility should be with him. The US is now openly supporting or at the very least turning a blind eye to the killing of people for the crimes of being against Extremism and protesting for human rights. Not to be surprised I guess given what he is turning a blind eye to or rather encouraging in Israel/Palestine.
Unfortunately, there are no longer any journalists, only prostitutes who write media propaganda for government and corporate interests....
Alexa, You said the US is at least turning a blind eye to the killings in Suadi Arabia. But the same could be said of you and your Liberal friends over the much worse killings in Iran (see my first post on this thread). Iran executes more people than any other nation except China. Plus she carries out many unofficial killings through her paramilitary thugs. Yet you and the Liberals are completely indifferent to the deaths of thousands of innocents in Iran. It would be hard to imagine a worse death than that of Zahra Kazemi (see my thread on her murder in the Middle East forum section). It would be hard to imagine a more pointless death than that of Atefeh Sahaaleh (I also have a tread on that death).
probably better than being raped a lot in the US custody, when serving a life sentence. In a survey 21% claimed to have been pressured into some sexual activity, 7% claim to have been raped. Probably a tip of the iceberg.
It's obvious free speech doesn't exist in these countries and they'll just execute people of notoriety who say things against those in government. It also shows the danger of some of these terrorism laws. The laws are loosely and broadly worded and can be used to criminalize free speech, even for something about the government typed on Twitter.
How racist. Implying blacks can't drive. Yes they can, if they want to and practice like everyone else.
