Saudi Arabia, Extremism, and Jihadis

It would do we Americans well to be aware of a few facts regarding Saudi Arabia, especially given that they supposedly are our ally.

1.  In the last couple months, there were 113 beheadings in "The Kingdom".  They were executions of criminals.  Some of the crimes involved were:  blasphemy (!), sorcery (!), and sedition.  Saudi Arabia still subscribes to a form of Persian Gulf style execution that was common in the 1600s.  By the way, these beheadings usually are public.  That's our ally in action.  Disgusting.

2.  Many private sources in Saudi Arabia fund ISIS.  Are they being rooted out by the Gov't there?

3.  "The Kingdom" sponsors Wahhabism, an extreme, almost cultist Sect of Islam, as a State religion.

4.  The Jihadis of today were created by repressive regimes (and their jails and torture practices) such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Syria...dating back to at least the 1970s.

5.  "The Kingdom" is a dictatorship.
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Also of interest is the fact that we import twice as much crude oil from Canada as we do from Saudi Arabia.  Canada sits on huge reserves, so that amount likely will increase.  We also import large amounts of crude from Mexico, Venezuela, and Nigeria.  All that begs for an answer to the question:  just how necessary to us is a country (or more accurately, their gov't) that beheads people in public?  This is, after all, the year 2014...not 1614.  What they do today is somewhat akin to if the Spanish executed people today by burning them at the stake.  To the Gov't of "The Kingdom":  a mild suggestion--- at least jump forward to the 19th century.  To the Gov't of the USA:  perhaps it would be helpful if you re-evaluated just who it is that you choose as an ally.  Birds of a feather... and all that.

Be Well