In Saudi Arabia, the Guest Of Honor Is Often A Tyrant

It should have come as no surprise that the Saudi royals welcomed “the butcher of Tunis”, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali when others spurned his request for asylum. It’s worth noting that Bin Ali is neither the first tyrant nor the most vicious murderer, the Saudi royals have welcomed with open arms.

Idi Amin enjoys the pool…

They opened their borders to and hosted the fleeing brutal ruling Yemeni monarchs, Imams, after a military takeover in 1962. The Saudi royals welcomed former President of Uganda Idi Amin Dada, dubbed “Butcher of Africa and the King of All Beasts.” Idi Amin was accused of slaughtering between 100,000 and 300,000Ugandans during his reign of terror, 1971-1979. Closer to home, the Saudi royals hosted the fleeing autocratic Al-Sabah ruling family of Kuwait when Saddam Hussein invaded their country and tortured the defenseless people of Kuwait in 1990. Add to the mix of honored guests the former Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in “… kidnapping, attempted murder, hijacking and terrorism.”

For those who do not understand the Saudi ruling family’s manipulation of other peoples’ misfortunes, it may sound unwise for the Saudi monarchs to offer sanctuary to the deposed Tunisian dictator especially at a time when most oppressed Arab citizens are waiting in the wings to rid themselves of their own tyrannical rulers including the Saudi ruling family. However, the Saudi monarchs can afford to take action others may not dare touch. This is due to two factors: the Saudi rulers have terrorized their subjects to the point that the regime does not currently fear a public reaction that cannot be crushed swiftly. Also, the Saudi ruling family can always count on the US and its European allies to protect it from external and internal threats. This is due to the fact that the Saudi rulers have historically convinced the West that its oil supply and strategic interests are tied to the survival of the Saudi monarchs.

Since the Saudi monarchs’ survival depends largely on convincing their subdued subjects and the West of the royals’ indispensability, granting sanctuaries to deposed despots serves two objectives. One, to prove that the monarchy is stable, independent and stands by its allies regardless of consequences; and two, to utilize the supporters and partners of deposed tyrants in order to maintain Saudi influence in their countries of origin. The Saudi monarchs succeeded in achieving their objectives, especially in Pakistan and Yemen.