Bush Goes Cap In Hand to Riyadh

Like Oliver Twist in the orphanage, US President George Bush has picked up his gruel bowl and flown to Riyadh to ask the House of Saud for “more please.” Bush is making a private visit to King Abdullah’s “ranch” (didn’t know they had those in Saudi Arabia) to beg the Saudis to increase oil production and exports to the US.

From the New York Times:

“When Mr. Bush was last here in January, a similar request caused him some embarrassment. The president asked the Saudi oil minister to increase production, and was publicly rebuffed. He then took up the matter with the king, but the conversation did not get very far.

The president has little choice but to try again. Back in Washington, Democrats like Senator Schumer of New York are pressing for sanctions against Saudi Arabia. Mr. Schumer wants to limit arms sales to the kingdom, saying he wants them to “cooperate and not strangle American consumers.”

The Bush White House opposes such methods. But with gasoline nearing $4 a gallon, clearly Mr. Bush is looking for some cooperation.

In an interview with CBS Radio before leaving Washington, Mr. Bush was asked what he would tell the king this time that he did not say when he was here last.

“That I didn’t say last time?” he asked, adding, “The price is even higher.”

There it is kids. Bush the Younger, the Scourge of Afghanistan, Desert Conqueror of Iraq, the annointed Leader of the Free World, taking his begging bowl and an enormous gift basket of America’s national pride to kneel at the feet of the House of Saud. Now I have seen everything. It’s all become so clear. The horror, oh the horror.

The last picture I can remember of Bush and a Saudi noble they were only holding hands and kissing cheeks. I wonder what George is going to have to kiss this time?

 

Canadian Kid to be Beheaded by Saudis

Remember the name, Mohamed Kohail, you’ll be hearing it a lot in the next couple of months.

The 16-year old has been convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia and sentenced to public beheading. He has 80-days in which to appeal his sentence.

Turns out it was a schoolyard brawl in which Kohail, came to aid of his brother, Sultan, after he was beset by a gang of a dozen boys, some allegedly armed, who claimed he’d insulted a girl. A punch was thrown and one of the gang. the girl’s cousin, fell dead.

Kohail’s family says he was often denied access to his lawyer and convicted in a bizarre trial that consisted of nine, 10-minute court sessions.

The Kohail family had gone to Saudi Arabia to attend a relative’s wedding, apparently a protracted ritual that entails three ceremonies.