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RufusTFirefly

(8,812 posts)

31. Another of our long-time allies has been accused of boiling his enemies alive. Oh well.

Mon Sep 8, 2014, 06:47 PM

Sep 2014

Islam Karimov is the long-time dictator of Uzbekistan and a U.S. ally. In the so-called Andijan massacre, his troops opened fire on peaceful protestors. The incident has been likened to Tienanmen Square. More recently, he reportedly ordered the house arrest of his own daughter.

Yet everyone from Bill Clinton to Michael Bloomberg to Donald Rumsfeld has praised him:

"I am delighted to be back in Uzbekistan. I've just had a long and very interesting and helpful discussion with the president ... Uzbekistan is a key member of the coalition's global war on terror. And I brought the president the good wishes of President Bush and our appreciation for their stalwart support in the war on terror ... Our relationship is strong and has been growing stronger."
- US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Tashkent, February 2004

Why? Because, as the Asia Times explained, "... Karimov in Uzbekistan is as essential a piece in the great oil and gas chessboard as Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan."

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This U.S Ally Beheaded 19 People Last Month One of Them was for Practicing Sorcery [View all] KamaAina Sep 2014 OP

Yeah, but note - those were Arabs beheaded. The US doesn't care about that Scootaloo Sep 2014 #1

What matters is that they were presumably citizens of Saudi Arabia. MH1 Sep 2014 #15

At least three were Syrian hash smugglers. Beheaded for hash. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2014 #18

No. Illogical. Is beheading good or bad? grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #39

So which method would you consider "good"? DrDan Sep 2014 #51

Neither, asking comrade grumpy ;) grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #52

Not a fan of the death penalty, no matter what form, especially for drug offenses. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2014 #54

Supposedly ISIS did not even follow the Koran low on execution. LiberalArkie Sep 2014 #17

So, it's OK if you follow the Koran for beheading, and non-secular countries should be the judge of grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #40

revolting samsingh Sep 2014 #2

Can we expect sanctions against Saudi Oil, drones, weapons shipments to rebels, any time soon? Tierra_y_Libertad Sep 2014 #3

"We must destroy those barbarians!" whatchamacallit Sep 2014 #4

Now you've done it leftstreet Sep 2014 #5

The US throughout history has picked some strange bedfellows. That often happens RKP5637 Sep 2014 #6

Saudi Arabia: hifiguy Sep 2014 #7

Why don't you say what you really think? nt raccoon Sep 2014 #8

I do hifiguy Sep 2014 #9

And here's today's "Freedom Fries" moment... LanternWaste Sep 2014 #10

What? hifiguy Sep 2014 #11

I used to rationalize the stupid shit I'd say instead of learning about people, too. LanternWaste Sep 2014 #13

There's not much that needs to be learned about hifiguy Sep 2014 #16

Are you seriously defending the Saudis edhopper Sep 2014 #29

Why is it OK for SA to behead? grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #43

Ask the EU -- They get more oil from the Saudis than we do. whathehell Sep 2014 #58

well done (on this post and the others in this thread). 2banon Sep 2014 #21

Well said. grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #42

9/12 2001 who was flying the skys of America, same people that did 9/11 . orpupilofnature57 Sep 2014 #30

It's simple, it's all about the profit.....truth and justice are not exactly rolling in the big AuntPatsy Sep 2014 #12

It was a friendly beheading and there was no propaganda teasing Americans, so what it the problem? Fred Sanders Sep 2014 #14

No comparison Sheepshank Sep 2014 #19

ISIS is also not one of our closest allies KamaAina Sep 2014 #20

o.m.g. DERP 2banon Sep 2014 #22

But, we want to take out Syria because of it's abhorrent laws.... Right? grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #44

Oh bullshit. Hissyspit Sep 2014 #55

The beheaded weren't U.S. citizens. What is difficult about that concept, re: U.S. interests? WinkyDink Sep 2014 #23

Not even Texas executes 19 people in a month KamaAina Sep 2014 #24

And Saudi Arabia has commonly been called a moderate Arab nation cpwm17 Sep 2014 #25

Saudia Arabia is in all likelyhood financing ISIS randr Sep 2014 #26

Bingo! ~nt 99th_Monkey Sep 2014 #28

Birds of a feather ... 99th_Monkey Sep 2014 #27

Another of our long-time allies has been accused of boiling his enemies alive. Oh well. RufusTFirefly Sep 2014 #31

Don't you mean U-beki-beki-bekistan? KamaAina Sep 2014 #36

Saudi Arabia is like alcohol. Boom Sound 416 Sep 2014 #32

+1000 !!!! orpupilofnature57 Sep 2014 #33

They do it in the public square maindawg Sep 2014 #34

Rich Assholes - Kind Of Like America cantbeserious Sep 2014 #37

Rich assholes - Kind of like Anywhere whathehell Sep 2014 #57

Who Has The Most - Why Of Course - America cantbeserious Sep 2014 #62

Oh, my..You are determined to vent your little anti-American spleen, aren't you? whathehell Sep 2014 #64

The Hypocrisy Of America - The Laughing Stock Of The World cantbeserious Sep 2014 #35

The Hypocrisy of Europe -- Who Get More Oil from the Saudis than America whathehell Sep 2014 #59

Nice Deflection - Does Not Fly - Who Protects The Saudis - Answer America cantbeserious Sep 2014 #60

LOL -- Who Supports the Saudis? -- Answer Europe whathehell Sep 2014 #63

Worst.Ally.Ever ProfessorGAC Sep 2014 #38

DU did not use to be the kind of place where people would justify this shit. nt. Warren Stupidity Sep 2014 #41

^^^ Amen to THIS!!! ^^^ KamaAina Sep 2014 #49

Just thinking the same thing. Must be paid personas. grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #53

DU also didn't used to be the sort of place where religious fundamentalism got a free pass Warren DeMontague Sep 2014 #56

Who's "justifying" anything? whathehell Sep 2014 #68

Kama wasn't. Just reporting a news item. hifiguy Sep 2014 #69

Okay, my bad. whathehell Sep 2014 #70

I was right. Brigid Sep 2014 #45

Well, I think its time we bombed the shit out of Syria to show the Saudis who is boss. 951-Riverside Sep 2014 #46

Saudi Arabia Beheads as Punishment and Stones Women....but, we sell them our Fighter Jets KoKo Sep 2014 #47

TPTB will support their bestest buds, the Israelis and Saudis, no matter how heinous their actions indepat Sep 2014 #48

Most countries do that, unfortunately...The Euros, who are dependent on oil from Russia, whathehell Sep 2014 #61

Curious. zappaman Sep 2014 #50

Bush* trotted them out as part of his Coalition of the Killing KamaAina Sep 2014 #66

oh that's right! zappaman Sep 2014 #67

Saudi Arabia is the ally of many countries -- Europe is one of their biggest. whathehell Sep 2014 #65