Eric Umansky

Let Freedom Reign (Saudi Arabia edition)

From Human Rights Watch:

(New York, May 16, 2005) - A court in Riyadh yesterday sentenced three reformers to lengthy prison terms for circulating a petition that called for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Watch said.

`Ali al-Domaini, Dr. Matruk al-Falih and Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid were sentenced to prison terms of nine, six and seven years respectively for circulating the petition, which they submitted to Crown Prince `Abdullah in January 2004. Using the defendants' petition and other writings as evidence, the judges found that they had overstepped the bounds of criticism by challenging the king's authority, according to press reports.

The hearings against the men have been conducted in camera, and attorneys for the defendants have faced imprisonment and harassment.

Family members of the accused and journalists have also been detained.

I'm not saying we should break relations with the Saudis over this. But I am saying if we don't begin to condemn this stuff--and try to lesson our dependence on oil (and increase CAFE, etc.) so that we don't have to suck up to the royal family--well, then our "realist" policy could eventually look damn dumb, and bite us in the ass. What do you think Saudi  dissident types  think about the U.S. when the administration just ignores this stuff (as most administrations have)? My guess is that it doesn't increase their love for the U.S.  Stay on the current policy and we better hope the House of Saud stays strong. It's like doubling-down your bet. Wouldn't it better to hedge your bets? (How realistic is that? I don't know. But it's  worth discussing, especially among those who are better informed than me.)

Early morning Putinization Watch

Also from the WSJ's Washington Wire:

MEDICAID COMMISSION will be administration-selected, not independent.

Health Secretary Leavitt will choose members, disappointing Senate moderates who pushed in budget debate for an independent panel. A bipartisan group urges Leavitt to defer to the Institute of Medicine, a government advisory organization. A senior Republican aide says the institute can't move quickly enough.

The panel will recommend ways to trim $10 billion over five years and propose longer-term steps to revamp Medicaid. Frist says it will be a "fair and balanced" group of state and federal officials, Medicaid recipients and health-care providers. Tennessee's Gov. Bredesen is one possible choice.

Arkansas Gov. Huckabee, a Republican presidential prospect, warns some cuts spur later costs.

Ha, who knew that Frist had such a deft touch for sarcasm!

Let Freedom Reign (Saudi Arabia edition)

Geez, I wonder if--between pleas for more oil pumping--the prez will feel  like he as the leverage (or interest) to bring this up:

HRW Press Release
(Washington D.C., April 24, 2005) - U.S. President George W. Bush
should call on Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah to immediately
release three dissidents imprisoned for more than a year for petitioning
for a constitutional monarchy, Human Rights Watch said today on the
eve of the de facto Saudi ruler's visit.

In March 2004, Saudi authorities arrested 13 people in several cities
for circulating a petition calling for a constitutional monarchy with an
elected parliament, and signaling their intent to form an independent
human rights organization. The government released 10 of them after
compelling them to sign an agreement that they would cease their
public petitioning.   

Three of the men - Matruk al-Falih, Ali al-Domaini, and Abdullah al-
Hamid - refused to sign the statement, and remain in prison facing
charges of "issuing statements" and "using Western terminology" in
calling for reform. Their lead lawyer, 'Abd al-Rahman al-Lahim, one
of the 10 released in March, has been detained since early November
for statements he made to the press about the case.

Another bet: What are the chances any of the papers raise this question?

Kyrgzstan in photos

The revolution continues apace. (Trust me, click on it.)

Kyrgzstan

Looks like a  revolution in the works. Demonstrators have burned down a police station, but the protests have been mostly peaceful.

So it's nice to see after Kyrgzstan's government stole the  election that White House has come down unequivocally on the side of democracy. Or something like that:

"We are concerned by incidents of violence in Jalal-Abad and other parts of the country," said an administration statement. "We call on all parties in Kyrgyzstan to engage in dialogue and resolve differences peacefully and according to the rule of law."

P.S.  Good to know we're all (nearly) on the same page: "Illegal actions lead to the aggravation of tensions, have a negative impact on the political situation and should be condemned," said Russia's Foreign Ministry.

P.P.S. There are a bunch of reasons why the growing protests  in Kyrgzstan have received scant coverage. It only has five million people; it's opposition leader wasn't horribily disfigured in a diabolical plot, and, my main theory: How do you pronounce Kyrgzstan?

'Down with the law of the jungle..."

Interesting, from  Al-Jazeera:

More than 300 Egyptian lawyers have occupied a court building in the northern Sinai town of al-Arish in protest of police brutality against two of their colleagues.

The protesters have refused to end their sit-in, which they started on Sunday, to support two lawyers who they claim were assaulted by police during a demonstration last Friday.

"Down with the prosecutor office. Down with the law of the jungle. End torture of the detainees," the lawyers shouted, refusing to move after a police officer tried to mediate with the group on Monday.

As the story mentions, Egypt launched a nasty, extrajudicial crackdown in the Sinai after last year's bombing there. As Human Rights Watch has noted:

The Egyptian authorities have identified only nine suspects as responsible for the Taba attack, but the ministry of interior continues to hold an estimated 2,400 detainees. The government has not released information on the whereabouts of these detainees either to their families or lawyers representing them, and has not indicated if any have been charged with crimes.

That HRW report is titled: "MASS ARRESTS AND TORTURE IN SINAI."

Airhard Gerhard

As Bush is trying to change the subject, it's good to know Germany will keep the pressure on Putin. From an interview in Time:

Q: ARE YOU TOO UNCRITICAL OF WHAT MANY SEE AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN'S MOVES TOWARD AUTHORITARIANISM?

A:  We all want to see a strong, prosperous and democratic Russia. I think President Putin is on the right path to get there.

It's a living

How are some fine former congressmen giving back  since they left or were booted out of office?  By whoring for the dictators, and calling it a step for democracy.

Let Freedom Reign (Iraqi media edition)

From IWPR's Iraqi Press Monitor:

AL-JAZEERA A ‘TERRORIST’ CHANNEL...

(Baghdad)Qatar’s al-Jazeera satellite television is a terrorist channel, according to Minister of Defence Hazim al-Shalan, who threatened to confront the channel “not only with words”. Shalan said Omar Hadeed is “absolutely” the brother of Jazeera’s office manager in , Hamid Hadeed. Omar Hadeed is the senior aide of Iraq's most wanted man, the alleged terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Minister accused Hamid Hadeed of having connections with the al-Qaeda terrorist network and of being involved in conducting attacks in Baghdad.(Baghdad  is a daily newspaper issued by the Iraqi National Accord.)

Operation Rollback Democracy

Iraq will be a shining for freedom in the Middle East. Or as one U.S. official told the LAT yesterday, Iraq needs a "negotiated resolution ... a scaled-back democratic process."

TNR's Spencer Ackerman has the details on the U.S.'s rollback plan.