As a good Christian and champion of democracy and freedom, President Bush has instructed his administration to blacklist any country that violates religious rights and imposed sanctions against the offender. In fact, there is a US law supporting that administrative directive.
Last year, many were surprised when the USA listed Saudi Arabia as one of 8 nations under threat of US sanctions because of their lack of religious freedom.
But then, more were NOT surprised when predictably the US now excuses Saudi Arabia from sanctions.
No, it has not to do with the name of the Saudi government being not Saddam – helloooo, remember Saddam, that previous Head of state of then secular Iraq which was under US imposed sanctions for more than a decade?
Yes, you guess it right. It’s for the same reason that, after the occupation of unfortunate and militarily primitive Afghanistan, where the group accused of the 9/11 attacks was hiding in and still does, the US swiftly abandoned its chase for al Qaeda and switched its military focus on Saddam’s Iraq instead.
Oil!
Because of the black greasy stuff that powers economic machines, the US now doesn’t have the balls to carry out its words against Saudi Arabia as it dares do with other “dry” countries like Cuba, Eritrea, Vietnam (only just lifted), North Korea, Myammar, etc.
No sirree, not when the price of oil is now so high.
It is also contemplating and loves to, but naturally reluctant to impose sanctions on economically powerful China, who holds one-third of the US’ debts.
Other countries on the watchlist of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom are Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The USA of course considers Pakistan a pal (see my earlier post Iran Fails to Toady Like Pakistan) so forget about that happening. The Americans are still hopeful of patching things up with strategically useful Uzbekistan.
The story is the same – if a country is useful to the US, it can have a draconian dictator for all the Americans care – afterall, haven’t we seen those examples in Saddam himself, the Shah of Iran, various Paki military dictators right up to Musharraf, the terrible Ngo brothers of the former S Vietnam, Marcos, Chiang Kai Shek, most of the nations in the Middle East, some of the former Eastern Bloc nations, former white South Africa, and various military dictatorships in S America.
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