Saudi Arabia bans all demos after Shi'ite protests

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Saudi Arabia bans all demos after Shi'ite protests

By Ulf Laessing | Reuters – 42 minutes ago

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it would ban all protests and

marches after minority Shi'ites staged small protests in the oil-producing

eastern province.

Security forces would use all measures to prevent any attempt to disrupt public

order, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state television.

The ban follows a series of protets by Saudi Shi'ites in the kingdom's east in

the past weeks mainly to demand the release of prisoners they say are long held

without trial.

Saudi Arabia's Shi'ite minority mostly live in the east, which holds much of the

oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter and is near Bahrain, scene of

protests by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni rulers.

Saudi Shi'ites they complain they struggle to get senior government jobs and

other benefits like other citizens.

The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected

parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies these charges.

Last week, King Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month medical absence

and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in an apparent bid to insulate

the kingdom from protests spreading in several Arab countries.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Jon Hemming)

[Guest guest]

Even though Saudi is mainly a Sunni nation, it brings in large numbers of workers to work in the oil fields, etc. Many of these workers are Shia from Iran. The reason for this is the many Saudi men see such manual labor as beneath them. They want a management slot or even a cushy, made up government position. So, if these workers go out to protest, or worse, sabotage the oil works (something that is feared here in the US but who knows what the actual plans are if that happens), oil prices will shoot up.

The Saudi family though is a shaky ally. The founder of the current house of Saud made a deal back in the late 1800's with the Wahabbi sect of Islam. They are ultraconservative and basically want to live like the 6th century. It is from this sect that many of the terrorists would spring, including Bin Laudin. The Wahabbis have also set up thousands of Madras around the world to preach their particular brand of Islam using Saudi oil money.

Even so, the Saudi family is not popular with the Wahabbis. The Saudi royal family is corrupt and doesn't live very Islamic lives. Some of them might still dress like desert nomads, they also live in vast palaces and jet around the world on drunken shopping sprees, often in large private aircraft. The Saudis know this doesn't sit will with them, so they give them lots of money. Even so, they regularly break up assassination plots against the vast royal family.

If the House of Saud is driven from power it is very likely very anti-American forces will take over the country and that will be bad for us and the world.

In a message dated 3/5/2011 9:47:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

Saudi Arabia bans all demos after Shi'ite protests

[Guest guest]

" The Saudi family though is a shaky ally. "

But they will be our best friends as long as we are buying their oil.

I heard on the news that the Libyan resistence wants the west to intervene in

Libya. Now gee whiz...weren't these the same people who told us to butt out when

we went into Iraq and Afghanistan.

I like how this works. After Gulf War I, the west got yelled at for not backing

the people trying to overthrow Saddam. Then we invade for Gulf War II and no one

in Iraw wants us there, nor do any of the other countries in the region. But

when their own ountries are about to get overthrown, it's " Help us United

Nations! Help us United States! "

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