Canada defends women's rights; Saudi Arabia threatens 9/11-style attack

[Quintillus]

In news that is only mildly surprising, in response to Canada making the following statement:

Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists.

Saudi Arabia responded with the following peaceful Tweet:

Spoiler PTSD for 9/11 survivor warning :

They also took economic measures against Canada:

Canada’s objection seemed relatively standard, perhaps even the kind of thing the United States might have done back when it cared about human rights.

But Saudia Arabia reacted as if Canada had just declared war. In a statement released on Sunday, the country accused Canada of “blatant interference in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs.”

But that was just the beginning. Saudi Arabia proceeded to order the expulsion of Canada’s ambassador, suspend flights to Toronto, and cut off “all new businesses transactions and investments linked with Canada.” On Monday, the country announced that it would relocate about 7,000 Saudi scholarship recipients studying in Canada.

See also, two articles about the topic.

Not that it's surprising from Saudi Arabia, but with the growing increase of MBS and some recent reforms, it had looked like perhaps they were turning over a new leaf. Now it appears, perhaps they are not. And with the expulsion of the ambassador and economic activities as well, it's clearly not just one department acting on its own with its Twitter account, but an official government policy.

On the other hand, Canada continues to build its reputation as one of the leaders of the free world.

 

[Broken_Erika]

moar
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/pol...-involved-in-escalating-saudi-canada-dispute/

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/middleeast/saudi-canada-diplomatic-feud-mbs-intl/index.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/08/sau...ou-need-to-know-about-the-diplomatic-row.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/08/saudi-arabia-canada-latest-egypt-russia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-45079682

 

[innonimatu]

Good. Saudi Arabia should be internationally isolated. And have its military assets on Yemen destroyed, but small change of that given that they bought so many people in Washington, the world's self-proclaimed cop is instead actively supporting their invasion there.
Still their crown prince is dumb enough to eventually blow even that, one can hope.

 

[Bootstoots]

I'm glad to see that Saudi Arabia stands proudly with the United States in denouncing the evil Canadians for their advocacy of such dangerous and destabilizing concepts as "human rights".

If I were Trudeau, I would escalate by denouncing the war on Yemen and calling for an end to the war with a partition or power-sharing arrangement. If Saudi escalates again, then call for nationwide elections in Saudi Arabia and peaceful transition to constitutional monarchy.

This Mohammed bin Salman guy seems really easy to troll. If you're an oil exporter and will be for a long time, why not have a little fun with him? If they really blow up the CN tower, then invoke Article 5 and see if you can get the Europeans to go along with it in exchange for some nice sticky bitumen to replace the Saudi crude. I bet Canada+France+Britain+Germany could school the Saudis, from eh to zed.

I mostly just like the idea of a Canadian-led military coalition kicking Saudi butt. Or alternately that the US would join on the Saudi side and try invading Canada (third time's the charm!). That would make for a really goofy World War III scenario.

 

[Kyriakos]

Nice - just woke up to this, sadly the Guardian didn't feature something as funny as i originally thought...

Saudi is a good ally to a number of serious human-rights 'protectors', including US and UK. It's cool that their war isn't important, but that they continue their very typically Saudi abuses somehow is.
I don't think the saudi lobby in the US will lose power, tbh.

 

[Broken_Erika]

When they escalate, we should just start openly calling for the overthrow of their government and the indictment of most of their royal family for crimes against humanity.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

In news that is only mildly surprising, in response to Canada making the following statement:



Saudi Arabia responded with the following peaceful Tweet:

Spoiler PTSD for 9/11 survivor warning :

They also took economic measures against Canada:



See also, two articles about the topic.

Not that it's surprising from Saudi Arabia, but with the growing increase of MBS and some recent reforms, it had looked like perhaps they were turning over a new leaf. Now it appears, perhaps they are not. And with the expulsion of the ambassador and economic activities as well, it's clearly not just one department acting on its own with its Twitter account, but an official government policy.

On the other hand, Canada continues to build its reputation as one of the leaders of the free world.

They're also relocating Saudi citizens who were here for medical treatment. Hopefully they don't send anyone in to grab people right off the operating tables.

My overall take on this: Saudi Arabia, grow up. This is a temper tantrum of the sort that can, and probably will, get these political prisoners killed, and will not make anyone here have nice, fuzzy thoughts of that country.

 

[red_elk]

Daring move by Canada, from a safe distance...
Not sure it will help SA activists though, may make the situation worse for them.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

There is a reasonable reason for Canada's position. One of the women activists has family in Canada; her brother's family was granted asylum here after he was arrested (he's the blogger sentenced to 10 years + 1000 lashes).

The Opposition is saying that Chrystia Freeland should have used normal diplomatic channels to say what she said, rather than Twitter, and I do have to agree that Twitter isn't the smartest way to do diplomacy or other international overtures (Trudeau's "open invitation" is partly responsible for the many thousands of asylum-seekers who have illegally crossed our borders after Trump issued his anti-Muslim executive orders).

 

[Lexicus]

Something doesn't compute here
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...eau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia

Justin Trudeau defends Canada's arms sales to Saudi Arabia

 

[Synobun]

Something doesn't compute here
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...eau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia

What doesn't compute?

 

[Kyriakos]

Something doesn't compute here
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...eau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia

Pretty disgusting.

From that article:

Hélène Laverdière of the New Democratic party pointed to reports of the kingdom’s attacks on its own civilians as well as the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, where conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million.
“So I am asking the prime minister, what does he think about Canada potentially being complicit in international human rights violations?” Laverdière asked. “How can we say Canada’s foreign policy is progressive and feminist when we continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia?”
Trudeau responded by arguing that his government had little choice but to respect the contract signed by the previous government. “Permits are only approved if the exports are consistent with our foreign and defence policies, including human rights,” said Trudeau. “Our approach fully meets our national obligations and Canadian laws.”
Cesar Jaramillo of Project Ploughshares, a Canadian disarmament group, described Trudeau’s response as “flawed logic”, as it is up to his government to set out the parameters of Canada’s foreign and defence policy.

 

[Lexicus]

What doesn't compute?

I guess just let me know when Canada cuts off the $12 billion worth of arms deliveries to the Saudis.

 

[Synobun]

I guess just let me know when Canada cuts off the $12 billion worth of arms deliveries to the Saudis.

Sure! Let me know when the US cuts off the $110 billion worth of arms deliveries to the Saudis.

 

[Lexicus]

Sure! Let me know when the US cuts off the $110 billion worth of arms deliveries to the Saudis.

I guess I'm just not seeing the relevance of the US's relationship with Saudi Arabia here. This is a thread about Canada criticizing Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses, but it is facilitating those abuses by selling arms to the country. If Canada really cared about the human rights issue you'd think they'd put their money where their mouth is an cancel the deal. But instead I find an article saying that Canadian stakeholders are worried that the Saudis will cancel the deal!

 

[Commodore]

On the other hand, Canada continues to build its reputation as one of the leaders of the free world.

The propaganda is strong with you my son.

Canada isn't leading anything. If they truly were leaders, they wouldn't be begging their allies to help them resolve this little spat between them and Saudi Arabia.

And have its military assets on Yemen destroyed,

Statements like this are a huge pet peeve of mine. I find it more than a little disgusting and morally reprehensible for those who have never experienced war to sit in the comfort and safety of their own homes and advocate for war.

You sit there and say you think someone should destroy their military assets, but I bet if your country was the one to do it, you wouldn't even consider picking up a rifle and going to fight. And I don't care how much of a jerk I sound like for saying this, but it takes a pretty big coward to advocate for a war that you aren't willing to go fight yourself.

 

[red_elk]

The propaganda is strong with you my son.

Canada isn't leading anything. If they truly were leaders, they wouldn't be begging their allies to help them resolve this little spat between them and Saudi Arabia.

To be fair, he said "Canada continues to build its reputation", not that it is actually leading anything.
Tweets are good and inexpensive way of building reputation.

 

[Synobun]

I guess I'm just not seeing the relevance of the US's relationship with Saudi Arabia here. This is a thread about Canada criticizing Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses, but it is facilitating those abuses by selling arms to the country. If Canada really cared about the human rights issue you'd think they'd put their money where their mouth is an cancel the deal. But instead I find an article saying that Canadian stakeholders are worried that the Saudis will cancel the deal!

The Canadian public couldn't care less about Saudi Arabia. Of course those with their jobs on the line would not be keen on the deal being slashed.

I want that deal to collapse. It'd screw over the Saudis pretty well while having only short-term consequences for Canada.

But the US's relationship with KSA is very relevant, I think. After all, they committed a major attack on American soul and you gave them hundreds of billions of dollars for it.

 

[Lexicus]

The Canadian public couldn't care less about Saudi Arabia.

Then what is the issue here? Canada's government stupidly grandstanding on an issue that its own citizens don't care about?

But the US's relationship with KSA is very relevant, I think. After all, they committed a major attack on American soul and you gave them hundreds of billions of dollars for it.

In what way is that relevant to this thread except as a form of whataboutism?

 

[Synobun]

Then what is the issue here? Canada's government stupidly grandstanding on an issue that its own citizens don't care about?

I mean, if you look into it, this "Canadian government stupidly grandstanding" was one person posting a tweet and the Saudis throwing a world-class tantrum. We haven't done anything.

In what way is that relevant to this thread except as a form of whataboutism?

I'm a Russian bot, what more do you need to know?

It is relevant because you are going "Hmm, very interesting" while stroking your chin about an arms deal (possibly) going through when some people don't like what the Saudis are doing, but the US is the largest offender of this syndrome by an awesome margin on the very same subject. You haven't caught anyone in a ruse. You haven't uncovered anything that "does not compute". You know what's going on, or at least you should, and you should also know that the US and Canada are friends in the dealing-arms-while-showboating-about-human-rights camp.