Forum Post: Saudi Arabia is a close ally to the USA. Human rights there are FAR WORSE than in Iran.

Maybe some people don't know it...

Saudi Arabia is a close ally to the USA. The US government considers Saudi Arabia as a strategic ally.

Don't believe me? Read about "Saudi Arabia – United States relations" on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia-United_States_relations

Excerpts:

"Furthermore, the US had sent additional troops in operation Desert Storm with nearly 100,000 Saudi troops sent by Fahad to form a US-Saudi army alliance and including other troops from allies' countries to attack Iraqi troops in Kuwait"

"On October 20, 2010, U.S. State Department notified Congress of its intention to make the biggest arms sale in American history - an estimated $60.5 billion purchase by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The package represents a considerable improvement in the offensive capability of the Saudi armed forces "

However, human rights situation in Saudi Arabia is FAR WORSE than in Iran.

Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia

Excerpts:

"Saudi Arabia is one of approximately thirty countries in the world with judicial corporal punishment. In Saudi Arabia's case this includes amputations of hands and feet for robbery, and flogging for lesser crimes such as "sexual deviance" and drunkenness. The number of lashes is not clearly prescribed by law and is varied according to the discretion of judges, and ranges from dozens of lashes to several hundreds, usually applied over a period of weeks or months"

"Public demonstrations or any public act of dissent are forbidden. In April 2011, during the Arab Spring, the kingdom made it a crime to publish any criticism harming the reputation of government or religious leaders, or which harms the interests of the state"

The situation of women in Saudi Arabia is worse than in Iran

Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia

• Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi. They are allowed to drive in Iran.

• Saudi women have been barred from voting, while in Iran women's suffrage began in 1963. In September of this year King Abdullah granted Saudi women the right to vote and run in the next round of municipal elections, which isn't expected until 2015.

• In 2010, Iranian women held 3% of ministerial positions and 5% of parliament seats. In Saudi, none did. ZERO. NADA.

Remember: Saudi Arabia is an ally of the USA