It is worth remembering a few things about this country from time to time, however. Saudi Arabia is the world leader in the number of executions it carries out relative to is population and its standards of due process are almost as bad as Texas (unlike Texas, however, it does listen to pleas for mercy from the parents of murder victims). It is the only major Islamic country in the world that doesn't allow women to drive. It is an absolute monarchy. It does not have freedom of religion. It tortures people (indeed, the United States under President George W. Bush has sent Americans there for the purpose of being tortured). It was the home of 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9-11. It produced Osama bin Laden (who has also been a CIA asset), and some of the 9-11 hijackers got money from the Saudi Arabian royal family in the United States. It financed the madrasas that gave rise to the Taliban who we had to go to war with in Afghanistan and was a major financer of the Taliban. Most of the suicide bombers in Iraq are Saudi Arabians.
Oh yeah, and they have this little problem, one familiar to American history. They keep slaves and our State Department knows it. Despite this fact:
President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Washington's closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers.
Kuwait, another slaveholding monarchy that owes its very existing to U.S. led military intervention under the administration of George W. Bush's father, was also given a pass.
The United States needs to stop prostituting its national security and its integrity with respect to human rights and democracy to its thirst for oil. Our nation is too great to be an oil whore.
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