Bush Waives Saudi Human Trafficking/Sex Trade Sanctions

[Gold9472]

Bush Waives Saudi Trafficking Sanctions

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...type=printable

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Washington's closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers.

In June, the State Department listed 14 countries as failing to adequately address trafficking problems, subjecting them all to possible sanctions if they did not crack down.

Of those 14, Bush concluded that Bolivia, Jamaica, Qatar, Sudan, Togo and the United Arab Emirates had made enough improvements to avoid any cut in U.S. aid or, in the case of countries that get no American financial assistance, the barring of their officials from cultural and educational events, said Darla Jordan, a State Department spokeswoman.

Cambodia and Venezuela were not considered to have made similar adequate improvements. But Bush cleared them nonetheless to receive limited assistance, for such things as combatting trafficking. In the case of Venezuela — which has had a tense relationship with the United States under the leadership of President Hugo Chavez, one of Latin America's most outspoken critics of U.S. foreign policy — Bush also allowed funding for strengthening the political party system and supporting electoral observation.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, Ecuador and Kuwait — another U.S. ally in the Middle East — were given a complete pass on any sanctions, Jordan said. Despite periodic differences, oil-rich Saudi Arabia and the United States have a tight alliance built on economic and military cooperation.

That left Myanmar, Cuba and North Korea as the only nations in the list of 14 barred completely from receiving certain kinds of foreign aid. The act does not include cutting off trade assistance or humanitarian aid, Jordan said.

The White House statement offered no explanation of why countries were regarded differently. Jordan also could not provide one.

As many as 800,000 people are bought and sold across national borders annually or lured to other countries with false promises of work or other benefits, according to the State Department. Most are women and children.

[beltman713]

I was just getting ready to post this, ain't this some shit? Do you think Bush thinks the end is near for him and he is going to do like Clinton did at the end of his presidency? Start throwing out pardons left and right.

[Gold9472]

I was just getting ready to post this, ain't this some shit? Do you think Bush thinks the end is near for him and he is going to do like Clinton did at the end of his presidency? Start throwing out pardons left and right.

Or crashing planes into buildings left and right.

[beltman713]

Have you heard the rumors about Bush falling off the wagon?

[Gold9472]

Have you heard the rumors about Bush falling off the wagon?

You mean this?

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426

[Gold9472]

When I saw this... I knew it was a complete fabrication...

"The war in Iraq, the loss of American lives, has deeply affected him. He takes every soldier's life personally. It has left him emotionally drained."

[beltman713]

Maybe Bush is just trying to cover his own ass in this Saudi sex trade. If they get convicted, they might squeal on him and/or his buddies in Washington.

[Gold9472]

Oh... I wouldn't be surprised if he was a coke snorting drunk... this story, however, I just don't believe.

[Gold9472]

Maybe Bush is just trying to cover his own ass in this Saudi sex trade. If they get convicted, they might squeal on him and/or his buddies in Washington.

No... I see this as complicity. Acknowledging that the sex trade is happening in Saudi Arabia, having the ability to impose sanctions, and not, because of a long history of business relationships, is complicity.