|
Saudis Avoid US Sanctions over Religious Rights
From Middle East NewslineWASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration has termed Saudi Arabia as the worst violator of religious freedom in the Middle East, but refrained from placing the kingdom in a category that would have resulted in U.S. arms sanctions. Well, we got half of it right... A State Department report cited Saudi Arabia as the most flagrant violator of religious freedom in the region. They said the Saudi kingdom continues to display hostility toward non-Islamic religions despite numerous U.S. appeals. Slight understatement. "Freedom of religion does not exist in Saudi Arabia," the report said. "Muslims not adhering to the officially sanctioned version faced harassment at the hands of the [religious police]." But the report, dismissing a recommendation by a congressionally-mandated U.S. commission, avoided placing Saudi Arabia in a category termed "countries of particular concern." The six countries in that category have been subject to a range of U.S. sanctions, including a ban on the delivery of U.S. military platforms. Saudi Arabia is the biggest client of U.S. weaponry and has been negotiating several major deals to modernize the kingdomâs military and National Guard. Before they go under. Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-20 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23089 |