Obama Administration Denies Asylum To Gay Saudi Ex-Diplomat | Ali Ahmed Asseri, a gay former Saudi diplomat who has been living in Los Angeles, “has had his political asylum application denied by the Obama administration.” Asseri, who formerly worked in the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles, fears abuse or even execution if he is forced to return to Saudi Arabia. “This was a political decision by the Obama administration, who are afraid of upsetting the Saudis,” Asseri told Rasheed’s World.
Freshly- released WikiLeaks documents have uncovered a deep alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia, reportedly affecting Riyadh's ties with regional states.
One of the cables dispatched from Tel Aviv on March 2009, refers to a meeting between US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and Israeli Foreign Ministry's Deputy Director General for Middle East Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm reported Tuesday.
The meeting, which involved other high-ranking Israeli officials, evolved around Tel Aviv's relations with Persian Gulf nations and the situation in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Iran.
At one point Hadas admitted to having secret communications with Saudi Arabia through various channels.
The Israeli official then added that relations between Qatar and Israel were even affected Doha's belief that Tel Aviv maintains secret and powerful ties with Riyadh.
“Of course, indirect forms of communication through third parties happen all the time in diplomacy… so it can happen through Egypt, Jordan or the US,” the head of the London-based Gulf Strategic Studies Center, Omar Hassan, said.
Saudi Arabia has always been cautious not to have any direct and open communication or ties with Israel due to its position in the Muslim world.
However, in 2002, Saudi Arabia extended an initiative that it would normalize relations with Israel in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 borders and an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The initiative was reaffirmed in 2007, but no headway has been made in that regard.
WikeLeaks cables also underline that despite the recent regional developments, Israel continues to enjoy steady ties with Arab nations.
Meanwhile, the secret documents have unraveled Israel's deep fear of Iran's growing influence in the region, by pointing at Tel Aviv's direct support for anti-Tehran positions held by the United Arabs Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt
Saudi-funded Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich attacks Harvard for Saudi funding.
On Fox News this morning, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Obama “should withdraw” Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination. While calling her an “anti-military” nominee for upholding Harvard’s policy of prohibiting employers who discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, Gingrich got side-tracked for a moment and engaged in a Harvard-bashing critique:On the one hand, Harvard accepts money from Saudis. Saudi Arabia, by the way, executes homosexuals. Saudi Arabia represses women. Saudi Arabia does not allow Christians or Jews to practice their religion, but Saudi money is fine.
Links:
Image Search, Yahoo
ThinkProgress.org, Saudi Arabia
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