So the Saudis are beheading two people a week right now. I know that they're our valued chums, as well as being the valued chums of the US, China and so on and therefore must be characterised as forever on the brink of reform. So thinking pragmatically about this, couldn't we send them a guillotine or something? Maybe a gold-plated one? Gotta be worth a couple of Eurofighters, that.
I suppose this might have something to do with regional unrest. The beheaded folk weren't involved in politics, but whacking someone's head off in public does send that all important message. And quite right,too. If they had a revolution the Islamists might get in.
Yes, and the Islamists in Saudi Arabia would be much more progressive than the government. It always disgusts me that the old Eastern bloc was treated as some sort of massive prison, while Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates are fine and dandy just because there's a lot of money sloshing round.
Posted by: Igor Belanov | February 09, 2013 at 08:54 AM
The Islamists are in power, and for at least thirty years they've been using the money they get from us to spread forms of Islam that get up the noses of plenty of folk in the Middle East and Africa.
Posted by: Guano | February 09, 2013 at 11:12 AM
One of my motives for opposing the Iraq War was that if they were really keen to promote democracy and oppose the spread of Islamic extremism they would have been better served toppling the Saudi government.
Posted by: Igor Belanov | February 09, 2013 at 01:16 PM