Amnesty International is urging Britain’s Cameron government to stop arms shipments to Saudi Arabia. Amnesty claims the weapons are being used to deliberately slaughter civilians in Houthi-rebel controlled parts of Yemen. Amnesty said it found a pattern of “appalling disregard” for civilian lives by the Saudi-led coalition in an investigation
Continue readingTag: Saudi Arabia
A. Picazo: No Scrutiny Please, They’re Saudi.
This op-ed appeared in The Ottawa Citizen on October 1, 2015. In 2014, on the shores of Lake Geneva and next to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, a lavish ceremony was held to honour the recipient of the Moral Courage Award — an annual honour bestowed by UN Watch,
Continue readingkirbycairo: The Tragedy that Will Return Harper to Office. . . .
We are eager to write off Harper and his government as dead in the water. We were especially eager to write them off after their reaction to the tragedy of the refugee crisis in Europe. Harper’s effort to change the channel on the terrible hardships of the refugees fleeing the
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Raif Badawi: Saudi Court Upholds Brutal Sentence of Liberal Blogger
I don't expect much, or anything really, from the barbaric kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The home of the beheaders, and the nexus of terrorism.But even by its brutish standards this is outrageous. Read more »
Continue readingNeed a job? Saudi Arabia is hiring executioners
The beheading business is brisk in Saudi Arabia. The desert kingdom has decapitated more people so far in 2015 than in all of 2014. As a result there is a shortage of executioners, and the country has posted eight job openings online. If you are interested, you can find the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Final Chapter for Bashar Assad
Things are not looking up for Syrian strongman, Bashar Assad. His first problem is the Sunni Muslim coalition of Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (ordinarily not the best of friends) that has materialized for the sole purpose of running Assad out of Damascus. The advances are not only a sign
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Canada Advances to Top Tier Warmongering. Congratulations All.
Did you hear the news? Pakistan has inked a deal to buy eight modern Chinese submarines. Pakistan, yeah. And the Pakistan navy is looking at developing nuclear warheads for the torpedoes and cruise missiles those subs carry. What do you think of that? Does it evoke any sort of visceral
Continue readingWorlds apart—women in Iran and Saudi Arabia
On receiving her Master of Architecture degree from the University of British Columbia, Leila Araghian won the UBC Architecture Alumni Henry Elder Prize. Ms. Araghian has since continued in her prize-winning ways. Her Pol-e-Tabiat, or Nature Bridge, in Tehran has won three awards in Iran as well as a Popular
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Deliver Us From Evil
Why do we tolerate Saudi Arabia when the kingdom, and its Sunni state allies, seems determined to deliver Yemen into the control of ISIS and al Qaeda? Gwynne Dyer writes that, while we wage an air war against ISIS, the Saudis are undermining our effort with their war on the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: That Burnt Smell, That Hissing Sound? That’s the Fuze.
Well, if nothing else, Stephen Harper might just have earned Canada a ringside seat to the outbreak of a Middle East regional war. The way the International Crisis Group sees it, the Saudi air war on Shiite Yemeni rebels might just be the burning fuze that explodes the Sunni-Shia powder
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: It’s a Muslim Religious Civil War and We’re Going In Blind.
When we see one of our closest Arab allies, Saudi Arabia, go after a Shiite bunch engaged in combat with ISIS and al Qaeda forces, the same groups we’re supposedly fighting, then it should be obvious that all is not as it seems. Suddenly this entire anti-ISIS coalition smells off.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Whacking Iran – Maybe Sooner Than You Might Think – The Warmonger Digest, vol. 2
It’s reported that the Saudis have given Israel a green light to overfly Saudi Arabia should Netanyahu decide to launch an attack on Iran. Jerusalem and Riyadh do not have diplomatic ties, but unconfirmed reports have swirled for years of coordination between them against the common enemy of Iran, a
Continue readingNews flash—Western nation stands up to Saudis
Western nations may proclaim their virtue but when it comes to Saudi Arabia, they behave like whores. They posture their belief in democracy and human rights but genuflect before a kingdom that manifests contempt for both. The allure of the desert sheiks is twofold: they sell lots of oil and
Continue readingWise Law Blog: Canadian’s in Action for Release of Blogger Raif Badawi from Saudi Prison
You may have recently read about the blogger Raif Badawi who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for criticizing Saudi Arabian clerics. It caught the media’s attention because he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashings. Yes, you read that right. 10 years and 1,000 lashings – 50
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What Are We Doing Flooding this Place With Arms?
Saudi Arabia has now displaced India to become the largest armaments importer in the world. Saudi imports are reported to have shot up an alarming 54% over just the past year. Among the beneficiaries of the House of Saud’s largesse is Canada, having inked a contract to sell nearly $15-billion
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The 28-Pages that Could Condemn the House of Saud and Liberate the West.
The Gulf princes and sheikhs, especially the House of Saud, have been very successful in ducking scrutiny over their role in launching, funding and covering for every Sunni terrorist group from al Qaeda to ISIS to whatever bunch is now being organized to carry on their Islamic civil war pitting
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Hypocrisy is Blinding
One of these people is Not Happy to Be Here Barack Obama cuts short his state visit to India, after lecturing his hosts on tolerance and women’s rights, so that he can kiss the slippers of the new Saudi king, Salman. So, Barack, how do you explain that one? “Sometimes
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Why Is Canada Selling LAVs to Saudi Arabia?
This shocking news story came up about a year ago, but it’s back in the news because oil crashed, and Alberta tarsand hillbillies freaked out about Saudi Arabia (finally). The Light Armored Vehicles will be used against civilians protesting injustice in a theocratic, and authoritarian country.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Barbarism of Saudi Arabia and the Grotesque Hypocrisy of Stephen Harper
There couldn't be a more hypocritical or nauseating spectacle, the old king of the brutish terrorist kingdom of Saudi Arabia dies.And western leaders fall over themselves praising him. With Britain's David Cameron even ordering that flags be flown at half-mast. While our disgusting Prime Minister Stephen Harper blubbers sympathetically. Read more »
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Is Harper Collaborating With the Saudi Princes to Crush Their Shiite Minority?
Stephen Harper is beginning to catch a bit of flack over the sale of 15-billion dollars worth of Canadian-built light armoured fighting vehicles to Saudi Arabia. At first blush it’s hard to understand what Saudi Arabia, that already has a significant armoured force but shows no inclination to use it
Continue reading