On Jan. 2, Saudi Arabia — one of the top U.S. allies in the Middle East — executed 47 people. Among those beheaded was famous Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, killed for leading pro-reform demonstrations during the Arab Spring.
The monarchy will not abide dissent, nor the most basic demands for human rights. And let’s not even start on the repression of ethnic minorities and women.
None of this has kept the U.S. government from cozying up to the royal family. And it certainly doesn’t stem the flow of weapon sales to the kingdom. Just days before the January bloodletting, the Department of Defense approved a series of multi-million dollar weapons contracts that U.S. companies inked with the Saudi monarchy.
With made-in-the-USA weapons in their back pocket, Saudi Arabia will continue to ramp up military tensions with Iran. Tehran officials recently accused Saudi Arabia of supporting violent extremists. This is true.
But no matter. The U.S. needs Saudi oil and Saudi dedication to blocking revolution in the Middle East. So, despite Uncle Sam’s pro-human rights rhetoric, the weapons will flow and Saudi aggression will grow.
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