Saudi passes anti-terror law, banning defamation

[alp227]

Source: AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's Cabinet approved on Monday a new anti-terrorism draft law that criminalizes acts that disturb public order, defame the reputation of the state or threaten the kingdom's unity, raising concerns by activists it could be used to quash political dissent.

A rights activist and a rights lawyer denounced the law as too broad, saying that besides terrorists, it targets civil society activists calling for democratic reforms. They spoke anonymously for fear of retribution.

State-owned Saudi media released details of the law online after the Cabinet meeting, but the news outlets focused headlines on Cabinet decisions to increase government spending. News of the anti-terror law and its approval was marginalized.

Al-Riyadh Net news website said the law was proposed by the Interior Ministry and reviewed by the advisory Shura Council. It reported that King Abdullah is preparing to issue a decree putting the law into effect.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/saudi-passes-anti-terror-law-banning-defamation

[JDPriestly]

1. And we consider them to be our allies.

We invade countries to implement "regime change" toward democracy (do we really?) and then our "ally" Saudi Arabia completely prohibits free speech within its borders and by its people.

I have a problem with this. How two-faced can we get?

[msongs]

2. and "we" shake their hands in photo ops nt

[get the red out]

4. I agree!

You are quite correct.

[Swede Atlanta]

7. Oh JD Priestly....such a silly posting....

The reasons why the Saudis will always get a pass even if they are one of the most ruthless and despotic regimes on the planet include:

1. They have Oil, lots of oil and the big U.S. oil companies want more of it for you to buy
2. They have Oil, lots of oil
3. They have Oil, lots of oil
4. The Saudi elite have billions invested in our economy and are de facto decision makers in many U.S. companies
5. They don't like terrorists except of course when they are ones they themselves have selected and funded that fly airplanes into U.S. buildings.....they thought 9-11 was a big laugh
6. They wear those thingees on their heads and subjugate their women. We should make sure our women are always covered up, cannot work or drive a car and are only to their their men.

[warrant46]

11. Elite Saudi youth party with cocaine, hookers exposed by Wikileaks

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s most conservative societies, with capital punishment dealt out regularly for violations of religious moral codes. Saudi citizens have been killed by the state for things such as adultery, disobedience and political dissidence.

But these rules apparently do not apply to the children of wealthy Saudi elites, according to a US State Department communication published by secrets outlet WikiLeaks.

Instead of adhering to a strict behavioral code as most other Saudis do, the elite youths are fond of parties featuring staples of many high-dollar Western blowouts, like copious amounts of alcohol, cocaine and hashish, along with a few “working girls” to boot.

The cable, which was marked “confidential,” also noted that an American energy drink supplier had sponsored one particularly lavish party thrown by an unnamed Saudi prince. The company’s name and the name of the party’s organizers were withheld. There are more than 10,000 princes in Saudi Arabia, one of America’s key allies in the Middle East.

[NCarolinawoman]

12. ,,,and they just LOVE to buy our military weapons.

Big time customers there!!!

[happyslug]

3. Hay, this is an improvement.

Remember this is Saudi Arabia, and what ever the House of Saud wants, the House of Saud gets. If they want you dead for any reason, they kill you and may even post the crime you were accused of doing (Whether you did the crime is another matter).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Saudi_Arabia

In simple terms, you actually have a law in WRITING that you can be charged with (and thus contest) as opposes to a general law that what you are doing is illegal (without saying WHY it is illegal).

[jessie04]

5. I'm personally against this...

OTOH who are we to judge ??

[Indi Guy]

6. I guess this means that...

...any Saudi reporting the story of the 28 missing pages from our government's report on 9/11 which depict the Saudi's own state sponsoring of terrorism here in the US -- such Saudi's will themselves be regarded as terrorists. How convenient.

[Nihil]

8. Not forgetting the leverage that the point you have raised applies ...

... to any international "news" agency that has a presence in Saudi Arabia or that has
any Saudi presence on their board or ...

As you say, "How convenient".

[Javaman]

9. setting up the barriers to prevent their overthrow. nt

[jsr]

10. Critics are now terrorists

[Jesus Malverde]

13. The sooner the house of saud is overthrown and the corrupt jailed the better.

With their human rights abuses and support for terror, they fester like a cancer in the gulf. The kingdom should be broken up to better represent the people. The US military suggests breaking the Saudi tumor into three pieces,



The Islamic Sacred State, The saudi homelands independent territories, and the Arab Shia state.

The US military found no room in the future for the corrupt monarch and his acolytes.

The princes are much more concerned with what is going on in monaco and paris. They've proven over and over they don't care for the people trapped in the region nominally called Saudi Arabia.