US, Saudi Arabia Stand United for Democracy in Syria?
Secretary of State John Kerry stopped off in Saudi Arabia on Monday to stand united in the name of democracy in Syria. The Associated Press called it “a united front,” reporting that Kerry and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal “warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that they will boost support to rebels fighting to oust him unless he steps down.”
You really have to swim through a lot of cognitive dissonance to understand how the secretary of state of the world’s only empire and the foreign minister of the Middle East’s worst dictatorship can stand united on bringing democracy to Syria.
Kerry said he and the Saudi FM “discussed the urgent need to bring an end to the bloody civil war in Syria and to promote peaceful, inclusive transition, and provide the Syrian people with the safety, security, justice, and freedom that they deserve.” He said he wanted to “make clear today that the United States will continue to work with our friends as we did in Rome to empower the Syrian opposition to be able to hopefully bring about a peaceful resolution, but if not, to continue to put pressure on Bashar Assad,” because he has “lost his legitimacy.”
Prince Saud said, “Morally, we have a duty to protect [the Syrian people],” claiming Assad is “diabolical” and “has lost all authority in that country.” He apparently forgot to mention how it is that the Saudi monarch has any legitimate authority in his own country.
The irony of all this was pointed out boldly by renowned Middle East journalist Robert Fisk not long ago. The Obama administration “say they want a democracy in Syria,” Fisk wrote. “But Qatar is an autocracy and Saudi Arabia is among the most pernicious of caliphate-kingly-dictatorships in the Arab world.”
“Rulers of both states inherit power from their families – just as Bashar has done – and Saudi Arabia is an ally of the Salafist-Wahabi rebels in Syria, just as it was the most fervent supporter of the medieval Taliban during Afghanistan’s dark ages,” he added.
So Kerry and Saud are playing chicken with Assad: ‘Step down from power or we’ll increase lethal support to the rebels.’ Put differently, the policy of the United States is to say, unless Assad initiates a “peaceful, inclusive transition” to democracy, we’ll boost support for armed militias of Islamic extremists, none of whom have any legitimacy with the Syrian people or any intention of setting up an inclusive democracy post-Assad.
Also consider the geo-politics of Kerry’s visit to the authoritarian regime in Saudi Arabia. There were two main issues brought up in the press conference: (1) regime change in Syria, and (2) threatening Iran by warning that “time is running out” for a political settlement on their civilian nuclear program.
Kerry’s visit was a perfect example of how the United States lays prostrate at the foot of the Saudi Kingdom. The two issues discussed are really designed to signal to the Saudis that the US will subordinate itself to their interests, which are to undermine the two main Shiite powerhouses in the region, Syria and Iran, for the sake of Sunni-Saudi regional hegemony.
Syria expert Joshua Landis said it quite well in a recent talk: “We defeated Hitler because we denied him oil. And I think that lesson really sunk in in the security establishment. Planning for a third world war after the Second World War was always about denying oil. And that’s why the Persian Gulf is so important. If China were to go on the war path, or anybody else, we could turn it off. So it’s not only [about] guaranteeing the free flow of oil to our friends, but guaranteeing that we have our hand on the spigot, so we can turn it off to our enemies. [That's] what is driving national interests.”
just think
March 4th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
US, Saudi Arabia Stand United for Democracy in Syria?
Answer
Fact 1: The people have never seen democratic free and fair elections, Saudi Arabia is a known pure dictatorship, where the peaceful democratic opposition is brutally suppressed by the dictator every day, widely covered up or denied by the controlled media (in doubt, just google for images of the "Saudi Revolution"), without any real planning of changes.
Fact 2: The known pure dictatorship of Saudi Arabia is declared as a model for Syria and the only goal of the war: "Emirate of Syria" as "Emirate Saudi Arabia", where women are treated like furniture, and women who want to be free are unter attack. No doubt, this is a pure dictatorship.
Fact 3: The known dictatorship Saudi-Arabia is 100 percent dependent on Washington, financially, militarily, politically and economically.
Consequence: The real meaning of the sentence "US, Saudi Arabia Stand United for Democracy in Syria" is "US, Saudi Arabia Stand United for Dictatorship in Syria".
So, anyone who supports this, supports pure dictatorship, wants to attack women and wants to treat women like furniture, while being denied – quite clear.
That´s simple logic.
mojo
March 4th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
"US and Saudi Arabia stand for democracy in Syria"…., this is the most stupid, immoral, unethical,
unrealistic, irresponsible ever.., first of all there is no democracy in Saudi Arabia so they have no rights of any kind to stand for such term suggested by them.., or for that matter UAE. Second of all who the hell is Saudi Arabia.., beside hand picked puppets king by England and EU having a militarism regimes occupying the gulf.., and these people supporting a democratic Syria…? If you want democracy.., start it on your own backyard.., eliminate your puppetry.., or being a puppet.., then again when it comes to vulture capitalism…, even the most brutal regime in this world (Saudi Arabia and UAE).., are democratic.
Umm Abdullah
March 4th, 2013 at 9:24 pm
"Fact 3: The known dictatorship Saudi-Arabia is 100 percent dependent on Washington, financially, militarily, politically and economically."
Nope… there's some dependence going the other way, too.
Ben_C
March 4th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
This isn't about "democracy"..it never was. Assad is on board with "elections" and "reforms"–"reforms" which have been in progress since he took office in 2000–well before the 'conflict'.
I want to point out that this is not just about getting Assad out of power–that is just a minor aspect. Perhaps some believe the 'Syrian Arab Army' along with all Syrian security forces, as well as the "Syrian People", will be loyal to a US created exile government? That's a complete joke…
Anyway…
Assad conducted an interview, in English, with the "Sunday Times" the other day commenting on this.
This is an excerpt:
http://youtu.be/Wbzmnj97Zq4
This is a transcript of the full interview…
http://www.sana-syria.com/eng/21/2013/03/04/47032…
Thanks for presenting "all sides" AW.C….
RevNowWhileWeCan
March 4th, 2013 at 10:19 pm
Last I checked Assad was voted in with a higher approval rating % then Obama. How did the Saudis elected president fair?
Truth
March 4th, 2013 at 10:31 pm
There is no Democracy in not only Saudi Arabia but also Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Morocco and many other States. Sad part is these Dictators Want Democracy in a only country(Syria) where Church and Mosque stand side by side while in Saudi Arabia Churches are banned.
IRS problems
March 4th, 2013 at 11:12 pm
So, anyone who supports this, supports pure dictatorship, wants to attack women and wants to treat women like furniture, while being denied – quite clear.
Zephyr Global Report | Zephyr Global Report
March 4th, 2013 at 11:34 pm
[...] US, Saudi Arabia Stand United for Democracy in Syria? [...]
backblow
March 5th, 2013 at 2:00 am
Without Washington, the oil rich eastern part of the Arabian peninsular would most likely be an independent state by now, with the impoverished western part under the control of the Saud despots. With no money to spread their extreme version of Islam, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the world would be a better place, although the Soviet Union might still be around.
Ahmed Asgher
March 5th, 2013 at 2:23 am
John Kerry can't be that intelligent to sit with such plutocRATS and demand that Syria to become democratic. How about starting with Saudi first? People who live in glass houses should refrain from throwing stones.
Ahmed Asgher
March 5th, 2013 at 2:25 am
yeh, like scratch my back, i scratch yours.
Bruce
March 5th, 2013 at 2:54 am
From comment above:
"There is no Democracy in not only Saudi Arabia but also Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Morocco and many other States. . . " TRUE.
Also, there is no meaningful "democracy" in the US either!
Plutocracy YES. . . Democracy NO.
How the hell can such undemocratic states as the USA and their "coalition of the killing" export "democracy" – a product they do not possess?
Why does anyone ever believe anything they ever say about protecting "democracy and human rights"?
"War is a racket", remember.
It is only ever about protecting elite interests, not the ordinary people.
Everything else is just 'public relations' to sell imperialist wars by hoodwinking the public.
Very simple, really.
http://lemonjuicebruce.blogspot.com/
Justin Hartmann
March 5th, 2013 at 3:17 am
there is no Democracy in not only Saudi Arabia but also Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Morocco and many other States. Sad part is these Dictators Want Democracy in a only country(Syria) where Church and Mosque stand side by side while in Saudi Arabia Churches are banned.
james
March 5th, 2013 at 3:19 am
I am still laughing at the headline here, American hypocrisy is unmatched throughout human history. And Saudi Arabian chutzpah has eclipsed that of the shi**y little stat and it;s surrogates in the USA.
Do you know that Saudi Arabia bans syrians from entering?
rybo1
March 5th, 2013 at 6:38 am
Saudi Arabia is undemocratic and also unIslamic. And, since when has the US been a Democracy. Two peas in a pod, if you ask me.
Jaime
March 5th, 2013 at 6:40 am
Not only is there no democracy in Saudi Arabia but there is none in the US either. Or do people think that this "democratic" ritual the US goes through and which they call elections is really a democratic practice? Electoral college? Lol. Yeah sure.
Jaime
March 5th, 2013 at 6:47 am
I support Ben-C on this. Why doesn't Antiwar also present the views from the other side? Since Antiwar's people are always ready to tell us how they dare poke their finger in Washington's eye, cannot they, as an act of real independence from the mainstream, show the views not only f the Syrian government but also of Hezbollah, Hamas and so on?
kirk
March 5th, 2013 at 8:05 am
Q: is this a joke, or just a note on pure hypocrisy?
A: it is a joke that those hypocrites utter such nonsense, so 'both' is the appropriate answer.
ML3
March 5th, 2013 at 9:59 am
Yes and I'm sure many of the destabilizing foot soldiers in the M.E. are unwanted and oppressed and brainwashed zealots from the KSA too.
ML3
March 5th, 2013 at 10:03 am
A gaggle of vile, out of touch plutocratic scumbags deciding what's best for other people outside of their own nations, after conniving to destabilize the country in question and killing innocent people as a matter of course.
You create the problems and then rush in with all the answers, what is that called again? Disaster capitalism? Corporate plunder? State manufactured terrorism?
Wisdom
March 5th, 2013 at 11:07 am
Democracy Saudi style? No way! Even in US President is chosen by the Banking Cabal before being Elected. Democracy has become biggest hoax in which Money power wins and Rule. They Want DemoCrazy by supporting al-Qaida in Syria, not the Democracy.
Wisdom
March 5th, 2013 at 11:50 am
Saudi Arabia where 100 Beheadings took place in 24 hours few months ago. what kind of democracy it will be.
Jim
March 5th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Of course Saudi has the power to destabilise the whole of the Middle East, in its bid to pin back the allied Communists. It can provoke and increase tensions to such a degree as to bring about a situation never seen before in the developed world, regarding shows of nuclear strengths and latent war potential. Does any one really believe, a Kingdom, with the cultural and historical development of the Arabanian Kings, would ever, use the (Mickey Mouse) culture of the US, as anything less, than as a pawn for its expansionist plan, whilst terrorising Israel into further doing its bidding and rubbing its blood free hands gleefully, glancing this way and that for business ?
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Faraz Noor
May 17th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
Lets first bring democracy to Saudi Arabia before we think about Syria. The Arabs are the biggest Terrorists (these people fund the terrorists – damn Wahabi's). The Saudi government and the ruling elite are sick and should be removed. The Americans claim to get rid of tyrants but they overlook Saudi Arabia. There is one Law for the Saudi men and another Law for the rest of the World. These people will all go to HELL (INSHALLAH). Allah has given them the House of God to protect but they insult it my there actions. No Muslim can claim that Saudi Arabia is a true and proper Islamic state. By there actions the Saudi men in power and elite circles show that they are ANIMAL's of hell.
I do not hate good Muslim's that follow Islam and hold the values of the Quran close to their hearts. But the Saudi's are far from being Human forget about calling them Muslims.