Huckabee's Plain Speak and the Saudi Hollywood Roundup

This is not about the tragic Dumond case. Its about another Huckabee issue entirely. About events that took place well over a week ago but need be focused upon in order to keep matters in context, and not permit the issue cited below to drift away. This especially so in that according to last weekend's poll from the Des Moines Register, Mike Huckabee had surged into the lead ahead of the other Republican presidential hopefuls in the Iowa Caucus.

The subject is of paramount importance to the future of the nation, namely the perversity of our relations with Saudi Arabia. Here Mike Huckabee has stood out from his Republican peers, candidates who have either been silent or whose muted comments on the issue have barely been heard. Huckabee has had the courage to attack the topic head on, loud and clear. It's a problem all Repulican candidates should be talking about and an issue that should become one of the central themes of the coming presidential campaign.

Here Huckabee had the gumption to voice his outrage. Most especially so after the Bush administration's limp response to the perverse and horrific Saudi justice calling for the punishment by 200 lashes and six months in prison for a 19 year old Shia woman who had been gang raped by seven Saudi men. Huckabee was not willing to accept the administration's shameful party line (pitifully expressed by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, " I can't get involved in specific court cases in Saudi Arabia dealing with its own citizens"). Instead Huckabee, undaunted, volleyed forth without mincing words:

"The United States has been far too involved in looking the other way, not only at the atrocities of human rights and violation of women", (all this in criticism of a Republican administration) and going on to say, "Every time we put our credit card in the gas pump, we're paying so that the Saudis get rich-filthy, obscenely rich, and that money then ends up going to funding madrassas that train the terrorists." ( He could have added, and funded presidential libraries) "America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi Oil. It's absurd. It's embarrassing."

Well, as if on cue, a few days after Huckabee's comments, the Saudis trotted out what is beginning to look like a well-rehearsed theatrical scenario to mollify American debate on the national level or our Congress when the need prevails. The Saudis went into their Hollywood mode, mimicking Claude Rains uttering Inspector Renault's classic line from Casablanca, "Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual subjects!" Saudi Security rounded up the usual suspects amidst much fanfare sweeping 208 Al Queda types to "head off terrorist attack". The same well rehearsed tactic was employed late April 2007 rounding up 172 "Islamic militants", militants who were in an "advanced stage to attack energy and high impact targets". Coincidently, or surprisingly, or purposefully this came just a few days after April 27, the date on which the Senate passed a bill seeking an exit of our troops from Iraq. A vote that contravened the Saudis stated objective as stated in late 2006 by a senior adviser to then Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Prince Turki al Faisal, "...since America came to Iraq uninvited, they should not leave uninvited." (Please see "Saudi Arabia's 'Oil Plot Arrests: Targeting al Qaeda or Our Congress"? 05.01.07).

Much ado has also been made these past days of Mike Huckabee's one day's lapse, not having been briefed on the National Intelligence Estimate's report covering nuclear weapons in Iran. This after a long day of campaigning. Clearly his briefing channels need fine tuning. That's fixable. What is not fixable, because either you have the character and gumption to understand and speak out on key issues, or you dont. Issues that may not always be popular. In this case, certainly in clear conflict with the administration. Yet, Huckabee understands that our relations with Saudi Arabia as constituted today, represent a danger to the future of the country. Bravo for Huckabee to tell it like it is, to repeat "America has allowed itself to become enslaved to Saudi Oil. It's absurd. It's embarrassing". Here we have an issue that should be at the forefront of presidential debate, and Mike Huckabee should be commended for trying to put it there.

Raymond J. Learsy is the author of the updated "Over a Barrel:Breaking Oil's Grip on Our Future"

Comments

[lastams]

According to senior American military officials, over 60 percent of foreign fighters that have crossed into Iraq for the purpose of suicide bombings or other attacks on Americans come from Saudi Arabia and Lybia.
Saudi Arabia is not only a threat to our future, they are a threat to our present.
That said, I don't believe a man that hadn't heard about the NIE this week, is exactly the person to lead the fight.
We've already got one President who invaded a country without knowing the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite.
Time to turn the reigns over to the professionals.

[AfzaalKhan]

1st of all lemme say I dun agree with that outargeous act and i deplore those stupid judges who met out that verdict, they should be the one handed out lashes for such outrage.

That said US has lost its moral authority to talk about human rights issues, when one say its ok to torture they can't turn around and ask others not to do. US govt can't talk abt human rights, its pot calling kettle black.
Mr. Hucakabee also has no right to cricticize Saudi judges as he as governer pardoned a rapist when he was well aware of what that individual is capable of, we all know the results.

[Aaror]

We also need to remember where Osama Bin Ladin (R,Saudi Arabia) comes from. btw, I recommend everyone use the party and location designation on Bin Ladin like we do other political figures. It is clear from his actions that Bin Ladin is a Republican, the way he pops up to support his party in elections. It is also not surprising considering what he thinks of the Democratic party. He fits in quite well with the other Republicans, except for the Muslim/Christian split.
Sorry, I digress, remember that our gas pays for Al-Quida training camps, Saudi Wahibist schools that teach every Saudi Arabian schoolchild that America is the Great Satan, and payments to the families of suicide bombers.

[guru75]

It is good that Huckabee can show compassion for a victimized Saudi woman. Oh that he had the same compassion for victimized American women. You can't disconnect the Clinton hating Huckabee who would take the rapist's word against a woman who was a Clinton relative from the Huckabee who defends women - as long as they are not of the Democratic persuasion and live in heathen lands. Now if he is willing to take on Standard Oil and its interests, where was his voice on this issue before he began his run for the White House? We didn't hear a lot about that coming from Arkansas Isn't this just a bit of phony populism by this modern day Elmer Gantry? Don't trust him - peel away the easy country boy charm and there is something dark and mean-spirited lurking underneath, more dangerous than oil slick on a country road on a rainy day.

[MHainds]

Silence?
It's a lot easier to get comments when you attack a GOP candidate, than when you point out some positive aspect of their character or campaign.
Huckabee's goose is cooked over the Dumond issue, but he is right about Saudi Oil.
It's unfortunate that one of the most principled contenders on the other side is so firmly planted in the "Fruitcake Fundamentalist" crowd.
He appears to actually care about poor people and the common man.