Close friend Trump’s 'special treatment' to Saudi royals
Once upon a time, a tiger caught a mouse in the forest. The mouse began to shudder wondering when the tiger would eat it up for a small snack, much to its surprise, the tiger wanted to be friends with the mouse. The mouse couldn’t believe its fate. The tiger held the tiny mouse on his paw, and began speaking to him like a close friend. The mouse had no reason to disbelieve. After a while, the mouse began to strut its tiny body around, with the pride of being friends with the strongest animal in the surroundings. It also felt everyone would respect and fear him because he was close to the strongest animal in the area.
This is exactly how the rulers of Saudi Arabia are feeling after offering its unconditional friendship (and neck) to the USA. In a public meeting held on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump told the ruler of Saudi that his country was committed to protecting Saudi. “We are with you King Salman, if we don’t stand by you, your empire would not even survive beyond two weeks,” he has said. This kind created a picture that Saudi was a small tiny country which was owned and managed or colonialised by the US. Trump showed no respect to Saudi’s existence as independent country, its self-reliance and honesty. Had this been a private conversation, it would have had different undertones. But Trump showed immense callousness by declaring this in a public meeting. Saudi Kings who placed their self-respect at the feet of US, hoping to be protected by their ‘friend’ have been served a massive portion of humiliation.
Saudi Government has had to eat its share of humble pie for having prostrated before the rulers of Saudi, submitting their whole existence before them. King Salman or his most ‘progressive’ yet cruel son who boast of ‘finishing off’ Qatar or Yemen at the snap of a finger, have not given any response to Trump’s claims. Saudi government had given a rather haughty response calling it an ‘interference in their internal matters’ to Canada Foreign Affairs minister Chrystia Freeland’s tweet seeking the release of human rights activists and innocent citizens held in captive in Saudi, has hardly parted its lips to Trump’s claims. It had dismissed Canadian Ambassador in Saudi, and had withdrawn their Ambassador in Canada over this tweet. Flights between Canada and Saudi were cancelled and the government had instructed its students studying in Canadian colleges and universities had to choose some other country to continue their education. Even a small part of this massive bravado was not on display over Trump’s remarks.
Just last week, Trump had spoken at the United Nations Security Council meet and claimed that that they were protecting the OPEC nations for free and they were taking full advantage of that by selling oil at higher rates. He said this was inappropriate and they had to bring the rates down, along with paying for the security cover US and other nations were giving them. No self-respecting country would have been silent after this. Saudi has not told the US that it does not need it’s security cover anymore, and proceeded to make its own arrangements with all the wealth it possesses. This proves that Saudi and US do not share a bilateral relationship, rather a hierarchical one where US stands at a higher point. This may have hurt Saudi’s pride or embarrassed the nation, but the people of the nation are hardly surprised at this development. By now they know as clearly as Afghans, that friendship with the US is a web of lies and deceit.
They have seen the dual stand of America which boasts of world’s most secular and strongest democratic nation that destabilizes democracy world over. It has been inhuman in its approach to other nations. US has never cared to aid democracy in Arab nations, or advise governments to protect people’s basic human rights or their preferences. US has supported the inhuman feudal rulers of Arab nations who would quash anybody who speaks of space, freedom or democracy. America finishes any ruler of Saudi who does not prostrate before their mightiness. Who can forget the ends of authoritarian rulers like Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi? It is inducing internal anarchy into each Arab nation, ensuring that they crumble on their own weight.
Iraq and Libya have turned weak with time now. Qatar houses America’s biggest army base, has been facing sanctions and ban from Saudi, UAE and other ‘friends’ of the US. Saudi shares a peaceful relationship with Israel but is in war with neighbouring Yemen since ages now. Saudi royalty has been prostrating before America since many decades. Earlier they showed some embarrassment about this, but now that is gone and pride has taken its place. They are the court jesters of America now. Saudi has hardly considered any of America’s diktats and acted with seriousness. It never loses an opportunity to jail or turn the critics of America on its soil, invisible without trace. Saudi has been palming off a lot of logic and blaming Iran for all problems and soft-palming Israel on all given occasions.
Trump is the only tough challenge America is facing after Soviet Union collapsed. He is known for his loose, crass and irresponsible talk. He has been named in many sexual harassment issues. He is also facing charges of corruption, financial misappropriation and private espionage. Trump had spoken to Saudi kings in July, and had immediately tweeted that the country would produce 20 lakh barrel additional crude oil from the very next day. But Saudi apparently had given no such assurance. No nation would allow interference of another country in its production or turnovers. Saudi kept mum on this. A soft explanation came through. White House gave a clarification as well. And the matter ended till another complication began.
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Vinod Tawde seeks apology from Kharge, Rahul through legal notice, warns of defamation lawsuit
Cash-for-vote row
New Delhi, Nov 22: BJP leader Vinod Tawde has demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for making "false and baseless" allegations against him in the cash-for-votes incident in Maharashtra, saying if they don't he would sue them for defamation.
Tawde was accused by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a regional party, of distributing Rs 5 crore to woo voters, with its members barging into a hotel room on November 19 in a Mumbai suburb, where the BJP leader was present.
The former Maharashtra minister and BJP national general secretary claimed innocence, saying the alleged amount was not recovered in the probe by the Election Commission and police.
"The Congress only believes in spreading lies, and this incident is a proof of the party's low level politics to dent me and my party's image," Tawde said.
The two Congress leaders and the party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate seized on the row to accuse the BJP of using money power to influence the November 20 assembly polls in the state.
The legal notice sent to the three claimed that they were aware that they were pushing a "totally false story fabricated" by them.
"You all have deliberately, mischievously with the sole intention of damaging the reputation of our client intentionally fabricated the story distribution of money. You all have published false, baseless allegations against our client on various media for tarnishing his image in the eyes of right thinking people in the society," the notice read.
The Congress leaders were in a "great hurry" to damage Tawde's reputation, they did not bother to check the fact and or despite knowing the entire fact they made the false, baseless allegations, it said.
"The entire imputation made by you all are totally false, baseless, malicious and mala fide and as our client is in no way involved in any such illegal activity and as a responsible office bearer of the national political party he is aware of his duties," it added.
The notice demanded an "unconditional apology" to Tawde within 24 hours from the time the receipt of the notice, which was sent on November 21, and published in newspapers and X.
If they do not offer apology, then Tawde will initiate criminal proceedings under Section 356, which covers defamation, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and also civil proceedings for the damages of Rs 100 crore against the three Congress leaders, the notice said.
