Saudis dismiss Rice's criticism (BBC)

[MaineDem]

Saudi Arabia has played down an appeal by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for democratic reform and the release of three political prisoners.

Ms Rice made the call before arriving in Riyadh to meet de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Abdullah and the foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Prince Saud said afterwards that a country's own people were best placed to determine how it should reform.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4113618.stm

[leftofcool]

1. Uh??

"Prince Saud said afterwards that a country's own people were best placed to determine how it should reform. "

Isn't this sort of what we kept saying to Bush about Iraq?

Left of Cool

[Igel]

6. And isn't that what we keep saying about

Western influence in Myanmar, and what we said about South Africa and E. Timor.

And wasn't there this little intervention somewhere in the Balkans. Shouldn't the ex-Yugoslavians have been left alone to determine how their countries were reformed.

Oh. Never mind. Different people involved.

[doodadem]

2. No brainer

Why did anyone think the Saudi's were going to pay attention to anything a WOMAN said??? Of course they dismissed her.

Does anyone remember what kind of reception Madeline Albright received in the Middle East? I don't recall.

[Mizmoon]

3. The people can't determine anything if they can't vote

and if women can't vote that means that only 50% of the population decides, not "The People".

[symbolman]

4. Yeah, like the peasants have any say in that govt

anymore than WE do..

At least they aren't chopping our hands and heads off over here.. yet.

The gall of all these bastards (and whatever women like RICE are called these days without insulting ALL women) and the pontification..

Hey, Rice, you want to score big with Americans? Tell the fucking Saudies that we are going to turn their country into GLASS if they don't stop breeding terrorists (like the ones that crashed into the Trade Towers), and if they don't lower the price of crude oil..

Oops. can't say that, they're all BUDDIES with Bush and family, and/or biz partners..

what a freaking FARCE.

[gratuitous]

5. Silly billies!

Dr. Rice wasn't talking to our good friends, the Saudis when she was talking about democratic reforms in the Middle East! I mean, Saudi Arabia isn't even hardly in the Middle East, is it?

I will bet that the Saudi comments won't receive much play here in the United States.

[geek tragedy]

7. Why don't you let your own people then govern themselves, PRINCE Saud?

I hate the Saudi entity. Medieval jackasses.

One day the House of Saud will fall, and there will be hell to pay.