King Abdullah, the Saudi ruler, took some time off from his OPEC interests this week to turn the New York Palace Hotel and the U.N. General Assembly into an extension of his court. Long lines of VIPs formed to congratulate his majesty on hosting a conference on religious tolerance under the auspices of the United Nations. The move by the Saudi king drew lavish praise from the likes of Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, Shimon Peres of Israel and President George W. Bush.
President Bush himself addressed the conference in what was surely his last appearance at the much-beloved United Nations General Assembly. It is not clear whether Mr. Bush or any of the other dignitaries noticed the irony surrounding the conference: its host, Saudi Arabia, employs special police to enforce a country-wide ban on the public practice of any religion other than puritanical Wahhabi Islam. Perhaps not, if the efforts by diplomats to secure Saudi funding for International Monetary Fund aid programs is any indication.
Long live the King…
Filed under: Politics | Tagged: Economy, Foreign Policy, Gasoline, Government, Oil, OPEC, Religion, United Nations
