By Tim Shank
David Ignatius wrote in his Feb. 4 op-ed column, “A new Saudi order,” that he sees the beginning of serious reform in Saudi Arabia. He cited organizational changes and the ascension of pro-American leaders in certain positions.
It’s amazing how easily the House of Saud fools Westerners. The Saudis have been talking reform at least since I was a student of Middle East affairs in the 1960s. Yet it still is the epicenter of inequality, human rights violations and gratuitous state-sponsored violence.
The wheels of alleged reform in that country are perpetually spinning but going nowhere. The rulers continue to steal the oil revenue that belongs to the people; civil liberties and personal rights are repressed; beheadings, stonings and whippings for nonviolent offenses continue unabated; and people such as Mr. Ignatius still crow about how the regime is a force for change.
We should support regimes that promote tolerance, nonviolence and progress. And the support should be concrete, not just rhetorical. Right now U.S. policy in the Middle East is feckless and morally repugnant. We need to do better. The place to begin is by recognizing reality. Saying there is a new order in Saudi Arabia is not recognizing reality. Moving a few boxes around in an organizational chart is not evidence of serious reform or even of an intention to make serious reforms.
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