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Arabia
Obama blamed for failing to prevent Shiite cleric's death
2016-01-05
[Michael Isakoff] The brother of a prominent Shiite cleric whose execution has roiled the Mideast and set off worldwide protests is blaming President Obama for failing to use his influence with the Saudi government to prevent his death.
He hasn't protected any of our people from the Iranian government. Why should he protect yours?
"I am sorry to say that the American government did not offer to make any efforts on this, although they knew the danger of this action and the repercussions," Mohammed Al-Nimr said about the weekend execution of his brother, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, in an interview with Yahoo News.

"We asked very clearly for the American president to intervene as a friend of Saudi Arabia -- and the Americans did not intervene," he added.

While he personally asked officials at the U.S. consulate in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, to urge the president to speak out forcefully against his brother's death sentence, "the Americans did not issue such a statement," al-Nimr said in a telephone interview from Awamya in eastern Saudi Arabia. "They limited themselves to general statements from the State Department."

The question of how forcefully the Obama administration raised the treatment of Sheik al-Nimr with the Saudi government -- and whether it was caught flat-footed by the intense response in the region -- got new attention Monday, a day after protestors stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran over the execution, and Saudi Arabia cut off relations with Iran in response. Iran is the leading Shiite power and views itself as the protector of Shiite interests in the Mideast. The issue also made its way to the presidential campaign trail where Hillary Clinton -- whose former top legislative aide at the State Department is now a lobbyist for Saudi Arabia -- mildly criticized the execution of al-Nimr, one of 47 prisoners who were put to death, mostly by beheading, by the Saudis over the weekend.
Posted by:Besoeker

#17  Rubio shape shifts too much. He is starting to grate on me.
Posted by: newc   2016-01-05 22:38  

#16  I thought both the Saudis and the Iranians wanted the US cut down to size... guys, that means no longer being able to keep either of you in check.

They want someone to be a big enough piece of shit to sell the US out, but a small enough one to stay bought by whate ver medieval shithole is doing the buying. They don't realize that it's a massive contradictory set of requirements.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2016-01-05 21:02  

#15  
#9 I do indeed hope that Obama gets more involved with this situation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He screws up everything he touches, so I can't wait to see what additional damage he can do to those hellholes.


Careful what you wish for, if champ gets too interested I can see Iran and SA signing a non aggression pact and a mutual defense treaty.
Posted by: Shipman   2016-01-05 20:30  

#14  Extra butter, AP?

I've got a couple of extra boxcar-loads coming into the siding tomorrow. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara   2016-01-05 20:11  

#13  O is guaranteed to screw it up. Barbara, pass the popcorn please.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2016-01-05 18:52  

#12  Yeah, sure, why not?
Posted by: AlmostAnonuymous5839   2016-01-05 15:17  

#11  Obama, because of the influence of Valerie Jarret, is more friendly to Iran. Plus, the two Bush presidents were more friendly to the Saudis and he is anti-Bush.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2016-01-05 12:01  

#10  "No worries Mohammed Al-Nimr, Saudi Arabia is just the JV. Now watch this putt."
Posted by: regular joe   2016-01-05 11:48  

#9  I do indeed hope that Obama gets more involved with this situation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He screws up everything he touches, so I can't wait to see what additional damage he can do to those hellholes.
Posted by: Crusader   2016-01-05 10:26  

#8  Cute, Besoeker.
Posted by: trailing wife   2016-01-05 09:20  

#7  Yes, Gowdy would be probably be a more effective public servant than any of those listed above. Think where we'd be today with Gowdy as an AG.

Excellent point Rambler.
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-01-05 09:18  

#6  Besoeker, you forgot to include what Attorney General Trey Gowdy did to a huge number of former officials, like Lois Lerner, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, etc.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2016-01-05 09:15  

#5  THE PERFECT DAY – Friday, January 20th, 2017

1. President Marco Rubio and Vice President Carly Fiorina are sworn into office.

2. In a rare event on inauguration day, Congress convenes for an emergency meeting to repeal the illegal and unconstitutional Socialist healthcare farce known as Obamacare. The new Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Ben Carson, announces that an independent group of healthcare management professionals was hired to handle healthcare services for poor and low income people. They are also assigned the duty of eliminating Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Government’s costs for public healthcare are reduced by 90%. Healthcare insurance premiums for working Americans are reduced by 50%. The move saves billions of taxpayer paid dollars. Healthcare service in the U.S improves 100%.

3. Newly appointed Department of Homeland Security Chief, Donald Trump, announces the immediate deployment of troops to the U.S. Mexico border to control illegal immigration and the immediate deportation of illegals with criminal records or links to terrorist groups. New bio-encrypted Social Security IDs are required by every American citizen. Birthright is abolished. All immigration from countries that represent a threat to the safety of American citizens is terminated indefinitely. The move saves American taxpayers billions of dollars. Several prisons are closed.

4. Newly appointed Secretary of Business and Economic Development, Ted Cruz, eliminates more than half of the Government agencies operating under the Obama administration saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Stocks rise 100%.

5. Newly appointed Director of Government Finance, Rand Paul, announces the abolition of the IRS and displays a copy of the new Federal Tax Return form. It consists of one page. The instructions consist of two pages. The Federal Reserve is audited. The move saves American Taxpayers billions of dollars and increases tax revenue.

6. Hillary Clinton is in prison, where she belongs. Her cell is directly across from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who are serving time for ‘Hate Crimes". She bitches at them constantly from behind the bars of her cell in what some might call cruel and unusual punishment.

7. Bernie Sanders is in the nuthouse, where he belongs. His room is directly across from Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chris Matthews and Al Franken. They meet for tea every day at 10 AM to discuss the success and benefits of Communism and Socialism throughout the world. They also wonder when the “Mothership” is going to pick them up and return them to their home planets.

8. Windows 12 is released. It is designed for humans, doesn’t try to satisfy the needs of every person on the planet, doesn’t require a degree in nuclear physics to operate and looks just like Windows 7 except it is easier to use.

9. Barack Obama flees the United States under cover of darkness and returns to his homeland of Kenya before his trial for treason begins. He deplanes on a remote jungle airstrip. It was reported that he was last seen wandering through the jungle singing “Hakuna Matata” with a chimp named Commie.

10. Oscar Meyer announces the introduction of a new cholesterol and fat free pepperoni that tastes just like regular pepperoni.

11. Not to be outdone, Kraft Foods announces the introduction of several varieties of cholesterol and fat free cheeses that taste just like regular cheese.

12. A committee is not established to determine what is causing global cooling. Billions of taxpayer dollars are saved.

13. Dead people are no longer allowed to vote in Chicago, a huge blow for the Democrat Party in the State of Illinois.

And this, my friends, constitutes THE PERFECT DAY!
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-01-05 08:33  

#4  "The boot you lick is the boot that kicks."
Unknown author
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-01-05 08:26  

#3  What did they expect from the Nobel Peace Prize Winner? Leading from behind?

Not that he should have done anything. I just think it's hilarious they blame O rather than the juice.
Posted by: Bobby   2016-01-05 08:20  

#2  Why should we care?
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2016-01-05 08:16  

#1  Obama has influence?
Posted by: AlanC   2016-01-05 07:44  

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