Retaliation
for Canada criticizing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record
As
tensions between Saudi Arabia and Canada continue to soar after the Canadian
Foreign Ministry dared to condemn the kingdom's
imprisonment of dissidents and human rights activists, a verified Twitter
account connected to the Saudi government tweeted a
graphic on August 6 that appeared to threaten Toronto with a 9/11-style attack.
The
image—which was deleted after it sparked widespread outrage—showed an Air
Canada jet flying in the direction of the 1800-foot CN Tower, invoking memories
of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center that killed
thousands, including 26 Canadians.
Overlaying
the image was the quote, "He who interferes with what doesn't concern him
finds what doesn't please him."
After
deleting the initial tweet and replacing it with a graphic without the Canadian jet,
the Saudi account apologized for posting the "inappropriate" image
and implausibly claimed that the message behind the graphic—which was clear as day to most observers—was
misinterpreted.
The
Saudi account insisted that the Canadian jet flying toward CN Tower was
supposed to represent Riyadh's expulsion of the Canadian ambassador, who was
kicked out following Canada's criticism of Saudi Arabia's notoriously appalling
human rights record. Saudi Arabia's Media Ministry later shut down the
infographic account and said it is investigating the matter.
Journalists
and other commentators from Canada and around the world were wholly unimpressed
by Saudi Arabia's explanation and apology.
Highlighting
the well-known fact that 15 of the 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudi
citizens, German political scientist Marcel Dirsus offered the Saudi
government some free PR advice:
"If you represent a kingdom which brought forth the majority of 9/11 attackers, don't use a plane flying into a tower in North America when you have a disagreement with Canada. It doesn't help."
The Saudi-connected Twitter account's apparent threat against Canada comes amid an intensifying conflict between the two nations over the kingdom's continued imprisonment of activists who speak out against its ongoing human rights violations—many of which are financed by Western nations, including Canada and the United States.
Ben
Norton, a reporter and producer with The Real News, argued that the
Saudis' increasingly belligerent behavior stems from the fact that the U.S. and
the U.K. have continued to funnel weaponry into the kingdom even as it commits atrocities at home and in Yemen.
"With
hundreds of billions in arms deals from the U.S. and U.K., with Trump
sword-dancing with Saudi royals, and with the corporate media fawning over
dictator Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi regime is being given carte blanche to
threaten anyone and everyone with violence," Norton argued.
In
a statement that came 24-hours after the
spat between Canada and Saudi Arabia began, the Trump administration made clear
that it has no intention of standing behind Canada's criticism of Saudi crimes.
"Canada
and Saudi Arabia are both close allies of the United States. I refer you to the
Canadian and Saudi Ministries of Foreign Affairs for further information,"
a State Department official wrote in an email to the Huffington Post.
Trump—who
has embraced the Saudis with even more enthusiasm than
previous American presidents—has been completely silent on the conflict.
After
Canada refused to back down from its criticism of Saudi human rights
violations, the kingdom announced that it is freezing all new
trade with Canada and suspending scholarships of the
approximately 16,000 Saudi students currently studying at Canadian schools.
Responding
to the rising tensions between Canada and Saudi Arabia, U.S. Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday called the Saudi government's behavior
"outrageous" and highlighted the necessity of speaking out about the
human rights violations of nations that receive political and military backing
from the West.
"The
U.S. must be clear in condemning repression, especially when done by
governments that receive our support," Sanders concluded.