Saudi Arabia has helped save British lives, says Cameron - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/ithg.jpg[/img] [url]http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/02/02/uk-britain-politics-saudi-idUKKBN0L61Q620150202[/url] [quote]Saudi Arabia has given information which helped save British lives, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday, saying it was important to maintain a relationship with the kingdom despite accusations it has a poor record on human rights. The British government's decision to fly the Union flag at half mast on public buildings following the death of Saudi's King Abdullah last month drew criticism human rights campaigners and several prominent British politicians. Asked about this decision during a question and answer session on Sky news on Monday, Cameron said the countries had a long standing relationship and it was "a mark of respect". "We have a relationship with Saudi Arabia partly over things like trying to achieve peace in the Middle East but crucially over fighting terrorism ... Since I have been prime minister a piece of information that we have been given by that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives here in Britain," he said.[/quote] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31098378[/url] [quote]"Now, you can be prime minister and say exactly what you think about every regime in the world and make great headlines, and give great speeches. "But I think my first job is to try and keep this country safe from terrorism and if that means you have to build strong relationships sometimes with regimes you don't always agree with, that I think is part of the job and that is the way I do it. And that is the best way I can explain it."[/quote]

So hold on, he's saying this: [quote]"We have a relationship with Saudi Arabia partly over things like trying to achieve peace in the Middle East but crucially over fighting terrorism ... Since I have been prime minister a piece of information that we have been given by that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives here in Britain," he said.[/quote] But haven't Saudi Arabia been funding ISIS? At least for a while?

not on 9/11 they didn't

so people are finally acknowledging the saudi problem?

He's acting as if it's unreasonable for people to criticize the fact that Britain is helping to fund a brutal dictatorship that enforces some of the strictest Shariah Law in the world, yet he warns us that Syriza and Greece is the real thing we have to be careful about. But hey, who cares about funding human rights abuses as long as they don't happen on your land?

[QUOTE=Rapscallion92;47062964]So hold on, he's saying this: But haven't Saudi Arabia been funding ISIS? At least for a while?[/QUOTE] The government of Saudi Arabia is against ISIS, but a lot of the Jihadis hail from Saudi Arabia.

Its funny on how groups in Saudi Arabia funded certain groups of terrorists, so basically Cameron, trying to act like Saudi Arabia helped out the world is not working.

[quote]"But I think my first job is to try and keep this country safe from terrorism and if that means you have to build strong relationships sometimes with regimes you don't always agree with, that I think is part of the job and that is the way I do it. And that is the best way I can explain it."[/quote] This is just something that every country has done since forever; having an ally who is a shithead rather than having none

Isn't this just Cameron employing double standards?

[quote]Now, you can be prime minister and say exactly what you think about every regime in the world and make great headlines, and give great speeches.[/quote] Explains why you stayed schtum about Greece then, doesn't it? Or is that just because they can't give you (literal) barrels of cash? [editline]2nd February 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=butt2089;47063320]This is just something that every country has done since forever; having an ally who is a shithead rather than having none[/QUOTE] The enemy of our enemy might be our friend, but that doesn't mean that we should just be complacent in everything Saudi Arabia does. We literally say nothing, we just let every single thing happen.

[QUOTE=Jamsponge;47063347]Explains why you stayed schtum about Greece then, doesn't it? Or is that just because they can't give you (literal) barrels of cash? [editline]2nd February 2015[/editline] The enemy of our enemy might be our friend, but that doesn't mean that we should just be complacent in everything Saudi Arabia does. We literally say nothing, we just let every single thing happen.[/QUOTE] No we don't, things are called out for what they are - it might not be a boycott but typically the foreign office makes a statement or response. But what is the actual expectation here? That David Cameron starts pestering Saudi Arabia about reform despite the fact that the West is trying to destabilise Russia, Iran, etc. through oil prices?

More like Saudi Arabia gives his corporate backers a substantial amount of money\trade and they don't want to loose it. Western Politics, the other, Capitalist employee market.

hey man you gotta get that oil and sell those typhoons somehow

I agree with him

"Assad? A brutal dictator he needs to go now! Uhhh our benefactors in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar? Naaah they are just misunderstood they good guys!"

Meanwhile... Qatar wins £2.6bn bid to buy London’s Canary Wharf [url]http://rt.com/uk/227043-canary-wharf-qatar-battle/[/url] Qatar takes tenth of British Airways owner days after Canary Wharf buy [url]http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/qatar-takes-tenth-of-british-airways-owner-days-after-canary-wharf-buy-10015244.html[/url] Didn't you hear? The UK is up for sale! Yes, we take credit cards, probably paypal and blood money.

[QUOTE=Jamsponge;47063347]The enemy of our enemy might be our friend, but that doesn't mean that we should just be complacent in everything Saudi Arabia does. We literally say nothing, we just let every single thing happen.[/QUOTE] I don't understand what people expect, though. Do you really expect your PM to snub an extremely valuable political ally by not showing respect to its dead leader? That may be the morally upright thing to do but it's not how politics ever works.

[QUOTE=Rapscallion92;47062964]So hold on, he's saying this: But haven't Saudi Arabia been funding ISIS? At least for a while?[/QUOTE] It's also funny when they go "Oh we've saved you from hundreds of terrorist operations aimed at people in the UK...but we can't tell you about any of them because reasons."