I’ve been reading a few MSM reports on the descussions between the US President George W. Bush and the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz at his Texas ranch. This photo shot sums up the tight relationship between the two. I wonder if Bush was always this chummy or just given the fact that he has control over Iraq oil, he feels he’s got a little more say in this matter.
This is a President whose response to record oil prices consists of repeating the mantra “Tell Congress to pass my energy bill” year after year, shameful photos like this get taken. Never is democratic reform for Saudi Arabia mentioned in these reports or within his discussions with the House of Saud. We continue to lose thousands of troops in Iraq to death and permanent injury, supposedly to secure that country for democracy. Yet women in Saudi Arabia are far less free than women were in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, the press is just as restricted, and Saudi Arabia tolerates far less religious freedom. In almost every way, Saudi Arabia is more intolerant, restrictive, and oppressive than Saddam’s Iraq. Perhaps that has something to do with why most of those who attacked us on 9/11–including Bin Laden–were from Saudi Arabia, and not a single one was a product of Saddam Hussein.
The National Review has a good write up on this which you should read.
“If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.”
~ Lyndon B. Johnson