Should We Be Supporting Saudi Arabia?

[Gromit]

Saudi Arabia, the spiritual home of Islamic Extremism and exporter of the vile wahhabism religion, an offshoot of Sunni Islam, have sent troops into Yemen.

The British Government have backed the move (because Washinton has told them to) and are supporting the incursion.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/11500518/UK-will-support-Saudi-led-assault-on-Yemeni-rebels-but-not-engaging-in-combat.html

Should we really be encouraging the loathsome Saudis? They are the main supporters of Islamic terrorism, they have started an oil war that is bankrupting our North Sea oil industry, not to mention its terrible human rights record.
Shouldn't we just be neutral on yet another Islamic Sunni/Shia war?

[icecreamicecream]

That whole middle east area is totally mystifying to me.Sunnis?Shiites??Iran?Iraq?Syria?...Hopefully before long they will have succeeded in killing each other off and us useful idiots in the west will be leftin peace from these bloodthirsty religious maniacs.

[icecreamicecream]

Thirteenth century religious maniacs and nutjobs...with twentyfirst century machine guns.Lets hope the Yanks will massively increase their drone operations,so that no decent people get hurt over there.

[Gromit]

// Thirteenth century religious maniacs and nutjobs...with twentyfirst century machine guns. //

Saudi has just announced it is to build 16 nuclear power stations at a cost of $80billion with the inevitable Nuclear Weapons spin-off. Funnily enough, the United States are strangely silent on the idea.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-says-it-wont-rule-out-building-nuclear-weapons-10139229.html

[DTCwordfan]

I love the use of the words 'the spiritual home of Islamic Extremism and exporter of the vile wahhabism religion' - now, Gromit, instead of pontificating about loathesome Saudis and starting 'an oil war that is bankrupting our North Sea oil industry, not to mention its terrible human rights record,' may I suggest that you cease such puerile hysteria and get a better appreciation of Saudi history and culture.

I recommend that you begin with 'Mecca: The Sacred City' by Ziauddin Sardar, before you make such crass, rudimentary remarks that, quite frankly, belittle you.

[icecreamicecream]

As far as I can see Saudi Arabia is about the only friend in the middle east that the west has,apart from our friends in Israel.The rest of the countries there are in some kind of 13th century religious warfare mindset,which we much more enlightened westerners managed to discard about 400 years ago.

[Gromit]

DTCrosswordfan,

I have read plenty on Saudi Arabia to know that it is a rogue state.

It may have had a noble past, but the present corrupt disgusting rulers truly are evil. They oppress their own people, they oppress women, they oppress Shias wherever they may be. They routinely steal, emezzle and bribe. The madrasses in Pakistan and Afghanistan where al qaeda have intoctrinated generations are Saudi funded.

[icecreamicecream]

Didn't have you down as an Islamofascistophobe,Grom...But your welcome to join our ranks.Just don't tell Keyplus...he wouldn't be happy.

[lcg]

no.....saudis are evil incarnate - yet the uk/us government seem to love them. their oil is the root of all modern evil and we seem to think their callous treatment of women, free thinkers etc. is just fine. double standards all round.

[icecreamicecream]

I,ll put you down as a dont-know,icg,You think ISIS are a bunch o friendly hippies,but think the Saudis are the scum of the Earth?

[ichkeria]

It is right to intervene here on the Sunni side, so to speak. Southis being left to fight it out with Al Qaeda of Yemen does not bear thinking about

[Gromit]

According to the widely respected 'Independent' journalist, Robert Fisk, the Saudis have embarked on this uncalculated adventure to hinder the US Nuclear deal with its deadly enemy, Iran.

// what to do. They cannot give the Saudis direct military assistance – their nuclear talks with Iran are more important – and so their soft verbal support for King Salman is supposed to mollify their Sunni allies and avoid antagonising the Iranians. But the closer a nuclear deal comes between the US and Iran, the more forcefully their partners in the Arab world will push their cards. What provoked the Saudis into their extraordinary adventure in Yemen was not the approach of Houthis towards Aden but the approach of US-Iranian agreement at Lausanne. //

[Gromit]

Ichkeria
// Southis being left to fight it out with Al Qaeda of Yemen does not bear thinking about. //

Er, the Houthis are fighting al qaeda. The Saudis are not supporting the Houthis, they are attacking them. If the Saudis beat the Houthis, al qaeda win in North Yemen

So yet again, we find ourselves helping al qaeda spread.

[ichkeria]

Yes I know they are fighting al Qaeda That is what I said

[ichkeria]

...they are also fighting the Yemeni government. It's not as straightforward as you claim, and the anti Sausi rant as DTC says, is not really helpful or relevant