canada's phoney war of words with the saudis

CBC: Saudi Arabian group apologizes for posting the above image that appeared to threaten Canada with a 9/11 style attack.

Canada's Phoney War of Words With the Saudis
Mother Freeland has wagged her finger in serious disapproval.

CBC: Freeland defends Canada's stance on Saudi Arabia amid sanctions

• On Monday, Saudi state airline Saudia said it would suspend flights to and from Toronto as of Aug. 13.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not commented about Saudi Arabia's sanctions.

Not until Aug. 13? I guess that gives them time to reconsider the threat.

It couldn't possibly have been the comment about women's rights that bothered the Saudis - they get that all the time, to the point where they caved and allowed women to drive cars.

No doubt, it was the word "immediately".

• The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of "immediately release'' in Canada's tweet "unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states."

Especially since Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister is a mere woman.

Thing is, the Saudi admin doesn't take orders; it gives them. And why is Canada speaking out only now?  The Saudis have cracked down on any kind of dissent since forever and surely one or two of those arrested were women!

This part is even more interesting:

• The Saudi foreign ministry ordered Canada's ambassador, Dennis Horak, to leave the country ... [Freeland] wouldn't disclose Horak's location, but said he is "fine."

All very dramatic-sounding, except that ...

• CBC News confirmed Monday that Horak has been in Toronto on annual leave for the past three weeks.

The truth of this whole dramatic scenario may well be encased in the statement from the US State Department that both Saudi Arabia and Canada are "close allies."

So is this a play-fight of some sort designed to - what? - mask something else? I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

The media talk about the Saudi Crown Prince as if he is alive;  Bloomberg says his retort to Canada "shows his assertiveness".  Which is not easy to show when you're dead - or at the very least comatose.

It's not surprising, though, that 9/11 was on the minds (subconsciously, at least) of the students who posted the image of the plane heading for the CN Tower (see image above). Even good old boy Michael Moore strongly suggested, in his film "Fahrenheit 9/11" that the Saudis were involved in 9/11.

There are notable Canadians who hint strongly that the Saudis and Israel had a hand in 9/11. Bin Laden himself was Saudi, and the "dancing Israelis" really did exist.

It looks as if Palestine's Mahmoud Abbas has had his arm twisted again. The time before was by the Saudi King himself.

From the Middle East Monitor:

Abbas condemns Canada interference in internal affairs of Saudi Arabia

• Wafa reported Abbas describing the Canadian request as a “flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia,” calling for the Arab states to stand beside the Kingdom and reject the Canadian interference.

Oh, of course. Canada supports Israel while the Saudis make financial offers that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis can refuse, so they're all on okay terms. But it seems that Canada would rather scream about female rights in certain countries while keeping mum about Israel except to say it "has a right to defend itself".

Despite the fact that there are certain Israeli women protesting against having to wear long skirts and head coverings and not being allowed to vote -- and there are even "men-only bomb shelters".

Abbas may well ask Canada what it has done for Palestinian rights lately.  There are female Palestinians too who lose children every day to some sort of action by Israeli soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla has suffered violence at the hands of the IOF but Canada's Freeland is mute on that score, even though there were females beaten and arrested.

• Some participants were repeatedly tasered, including in the head. Others were punched or had their head beaten against a wall by IOF soldiers. Zip-cuffs were used in a manner which cut off circulation. That any of this should happen to any civilian is an outrage. That the Israeli military would deliberately hurt a frail, 69 year old, slightly built surgeon and an Indigenous elder is even more outrageous.

Below: Latuff cartoon