State Department delays action against Saudi Arabia
By: BARRY SCHWEID - Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has postponed punishing Saudi Arabia for restricting religious freedom, giving the U.S. ally six more months to show it has made progress in its treatment of religious minorities.
One year ago, the State Department declared that religious freedom was absent in the Arab kingdom. Under U.S. law, the Bush administration could have imposed sanctions such as trade restrictions -- as it has done with some other countries.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice notified Congress last week that she had authorized a 180-day waiver of action against Saudi Arabia "in order to allow additional time for the continuation of discussions leading to progress on important religious freedom issues."
Here is more --
President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Washington's closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers.
In June, the State Department listed 14 countries as failing to adequately address trafficking problems, subjecting them all to possible sanctions if they did not crack down.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2005/09/21/national/w184052D94.DTL&type=printable
I'm not proud of Pres Bush here.
The Lord has led me to step out in fatih and start up a new Southern Baptist Church congregation in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Being that you are negotiating hard with the King to allow for more religious freedom in the Kingdom, I figure our new congregation could be a test run.
Could you please talk to the King and see if his people could find us a suitable piece of property to build a sanctuary.
Please advise the King that we will be preachin' about repenting, baptizing, being born again, praying, peace, forgiveness, grace, mercy and love. All of his subjects are welcome to visit the church on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and Worship.
Being that we will be a Christian congregation the King can be assured that we won't have any sermons that incite rebellion, anarchy, carbombing, kidnapping or suicide attacks.
Of course, please advise the King that he would always have a standing invitation to any of our worhsip services.
We look forward to your help in this matter and look forward to hearing from you and the good folks at the US State Department.
Your brother in Christ,
Deacon NoGood