Posted on 02/21/2011 5:41:26 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The top oil exporter and U.S. ally is an absolute monarchy that does not tolerate any form of public dissent, does not have an elected parliament or any political parties.
Saudi Islamists and opposition activists this month launched a political party called the "Islamic Umma" in a rare challenge to authority inspired by unrest triggering regime change in Tunisia and Egypt...
New York-based Human Rights Watch demanded the release of the activists, some of whom have been campaigning for several years for greater political freedom in Saudi Arabia.
(Excerpt) Read more at af.reuters.com ...
The Saudis will probably ship them the head and body in different containers.
Heyyyyyy....wait a minute....
I lived in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia in 1979 during the Shiite uprising which followed the siege of the Grand Mosque. I lived in the ARAMCO compound at Dhahran.
There were riots in Al-Khobar and I heard first hand reports that the National Guard simply flew over them in helicopter gunships and shot anything that moved with 50-caliber machine guns. Our hospital was filled to overflowing and everyone was told that if they wanted to keep their jobs then it never happened.
The House of Saud does not play around
Interesting!
That approach was in stark contrast to the bungling they did regarding retaking the Mosque itself. That nut who thought he was the Mahdi as a consequence also believed that nothing could harm him, and during the denouement was picking up the grenades and hurling them back at the security forces. Eventually of course, one of them went off in his hand and killed him.
OTOH, the takeover was very well planned, other than the whole, “how do we make our getaway”. Y’know, because they weresure they weren’t going to have to.
They’re pretty strict on handling the bodies in an Islamic way. That twerp who assassinated Faisal was beheaded for the crime, but both parts of him were put in a traditional unmarked grave in the same burial ground as Faisal himself.
I’m sure it’s just a huge misunderstanding...
At the time the Shiites were convinced that the Iranians were behind the takeover and thought it was part of a larger plan to export the Iranian revolution.
Whatever their other faults this was NOT the plan the Iranians had in mind.
So the Saudi Shiites were left to twist in the wind and face alone a regime which was already angry,scared and seriously not-in-the-mood.
I was in Riyadh in 1980-81. I've ever since detested "the Magic Kingdom", and all it stood for...
the infowarrior
So the Saudi Shiites were left to twist in the wind and face alone a regime which was already angry,scared and seriously not-in-the-mood.
I've always been of the opinion the takeover was orchestrated by the Wahabbi clerics, myself. They were upset that Khalid was trying some reforms, which didn't sit too well with them. After the takeover, and its aftermath, reforms were off the table, so it doesn't take much to connect some dots, as it were...
the infowarrior
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