Originally published at WhoWhatWhy.org
In August 2018, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador in Riyadh, halted direct flights to Toronto, suspended new trade deals, and threatened to relocate thousands of Saudis studying in Canada.
The diplomatic fallout was all because Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted her concern for a Saudi activist, Samar Badawi, who was arrested for her human rights advocacy in the Kingdom.
Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawi’s sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi.
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) August 2, 2018
The social media post, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in response, was an “overt and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom” and violated “the most basic international norms.”
Secretary Pompeo, I am sorry, but you just jumped the shark, with these accusations against Congress.
IT is the US government who considers every dead infant, child, woman, or medically fragile person "collateral damage here, and there is utterly no way to describe what is happening, as anything less than genocide, coupled with the US/Saudi commission of war crimes.
Secretary, please understand something here; many of my brother and sister Americans understand what is going on , and condemn it, but feel that they have no real voice in this issue.
And that is something, sir, I would suggest that you think about as the 2020 Presidential race comes into.
There is one aspect to President Trump's administration that concerns me greatly, so there is a question I need to ask; why does he seem at his greatest comfort level, when he is around bullies?
His BFFs in the Middle East are the Butcher of Yemen, Prince Bin Salman, and the Butcher of Gaza,and Bibi Netanyahu; and the people with whom he surrounds himself,, are also bullies, sir, and the hard reality is, John Bolton, apparently never saw a potential war you didn't want the US to fight.
Right now, our military is suffering from very short staffing; the weaponry they get from your "good Buds" in the military/industrial complex, is shoddy, sometimes obsolete upon delivery; and the cost over-estimates are wicked.
What's wrong with this picture, Secretary Pompeo?!?
Everything, sir.