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[HairyScaryMark]

Completely outraged.

Brutal regime that tortures, publically executes (at least 120 so far this year) and amputates it's subjects is granted red carpet treatment in the UK.

Some of you may also remember that Tony Blair cancelled the enquirey into the arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Politician cancelling an equirey into himself and his croneys? great

To make matters worse, there is always some pundit placed on TV describing Saudi Arabia as an 'important partner' and talking of 'shared vlaues'.

Weren't 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers from Saudi Arabia?

Even the US has a far less friendly stance on Saudi Arabia these days.

[Jan Deal]

Always looking at the negatives. I do enjoy their oil an awful lot, so I'm willing to overlook a few minor human rights irregularities...

[Teabags]

Whinge whinge bloody whinge.

[french_disko]

Originally Posted by Jan Deal

Always looking at the negatives. I do enjoy their oil an awful lot, so I'm willing to overlook a few minor human rights irregularities...

is the odd 120 or so executions such a bad thing?

getting rid of masty ne'er do-wells for stealing the odd loaf or two would certainly send out a message to some!

[HairyScaryMark]

I went onto the Daily Telegraph website. They had no mention of it on their main page. When you went into the 'news' section, I came across this article which mainly consits of decribing the banquetting conditions and the sort of food eaten. Practically no mention of the controversial nature of the visit and absolutely no mention of how brutal the Saudi Regime is. Also greatly important that Gordon Brown chose to wear a white tie.

Protests, pomp and a PM in white tie - Telegraph

[Jake Wifebeater]

Originally Posted by HairyScaryMark

Completely outraged.

Brutal regime that tortures, publically executes (at least 120 so far this year) and amputates it's subjects is granted red carpet treatment in the UK.

Hope you're equally outraged when George Bush visits the UK.

[HairyScaryMark]

The George Bush visit was also unsuitable and should have been cancelled or not planned in the first place.

I remember being glad to see large numbers of people protest against the Bush visit in London. If I was in London at the time I may have concidered joining them. I also think the numbers would have been greater had it not been on a weekday.

Who cares, he is a reformer unlike his predecessors

[Andy Mulhern]

Doesnt matter what their human rights record was or is, and as much as we can hate giving them the red carpet treatment:

"Saudi Arabia is the UK’s 23rd largest export market, with exports worth £1.676.2bn in 2006. It is the UK’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and our second largest export market in the region after the UAE. The UK is Saudi Arabia's second largest foreign investor after the USA." (www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk)

therefore they are looked after

[Jesus.H.Christ]

Originally Posted by Teabags

Whinge whinge bloody whinge.

You don't like me much, do you Keithy?