Saudi Barbarity, Iranian Hypocrisy

[Sally]

Sure looks like an awful lot of executions are taking place.

Saudi Barbarity, Iranian Hypocrisy
by Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Sun
January 5, 2016




1

This is an excerpt of the original article.

The idiom "pot calling the kettle black" was perfectly illustrated by Islamic Iran's outrage over the public executions of 47 people by Islamic Saudi Arabia on Jan. 2.

As horrific and detestable as the Saudi actions that included the beheading of human rights and democracy activist Nimr el-Nimr were, it was laughable to watch Iran's hypocritical self-righteousness in response.

Since 1979, Iran has executed tens of thousands of political dissidents, most infamously its state-sponsored execution of at least 5,000 political prisoners across Iran in the summer of 1988. Decades later the Iranian Islamic regime still makes a public spectacle of hanging political prisoners in city squares, using cranes to magnify the image of men writhing as they die a slow death by strangulation.

Iran is the only Mideast country that carries out more executions than Saudi Arabia annually and globally is second only to China — a fact lost on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in a fit of contrived self-righteousness warned, "divine vengeance will befall Saudi politicians" for carrying out the executions.

Iran carries out far more executions per year than Saudi Arabia.



According to Amnesty International, at least 151 people were executed in Saudi Arabia during 2015. While Amnesty does not cite figures for Iranian executions in 2015, it quotes "reliable sources" putting the number at 743 executions, at least, in 2014.

That said, there's no question Saudi Arabia's disgraceful actions have added a new and unnecessary complexity into a region extending from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent.

As a result, 2015 may well have been the calm before the storm. If building world consensus to confront the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaida was a jigsaw puzzle, the Saudi action just transformed into Rubik's Cube.

Continue reading at:

Saudi Barbarity, Iranian Hypocrisy?

 

[Hossfly]

Sure looks like an awful lot of executions are taking place.

Saudi Barbarity, Iranian Hypocrisy
by Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Sun
January 5, 2016




1

This is an excerpt of the original article.

The idiom "pot calling the kettle black" was perfectly illustrated by Islamic Iran's outrage over the public executions of 47 people by Islamic Saudi Arabia on Jan. 2.

As horrific and detestable as the Saudi actions that included the beheading of human rights and democracy activist Nimr el-Nimr were, it was laughable to watch Iran's hypocritical self-righteousness in response.

Since 1979, Iran has executed tens of thousands of political dissidents, most infamously its state-sponsored execution of at least 5,000 political prisoners across Iran in the summer of 1988. Decades later the Iranian Islamic regime still makes a public spectacle of hanging political prisoners in city squares, using cranes to magnify the image of men writhing as they die a slow death by strangulation.

Iran is the only Mideast country that carries out more executions than Saudi Arabia annually and globally is second only to China — a fact lost on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in a fit of contrived self-righteousness warned, "divine vengeance will befall Saudi politicians" for carrying out the executions.

Iran carries out far more executions per year than Saudi Arabia.



According to Amnesty International, at least 151 people were executed in Saudi Arabia during 2015. While Amnesty does not cite figures for Iranian executions in 2015, it quotes "reliable sources" putting the number at 743 executions, at least, in 2014.

That said, there's no question Saudi Arabia's disgraceful actions have added a new and unnecessary complexity into a region extending from North Africa to the Indian subcontinent.

As a result, 2015 may well have been the calm before the storm. If building world consensus to confront the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaida was a jigsaw puzzle, the Saudi action just transformed into Rubik's Cube.

Continue reading at:

Saudi Barbarity, Iranian Hypocrisy?

Hang 'em high!

 

[waltky]

Precedent for the Saudi case?...

US Supreme Court rejects Iran bank's bid to avoid payout to attack victims
Thursday 21st April, 2016 | WASHINGTON: The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that almost US$2 billion (£1.3 billion) in frozen Iranian assets must be turned over to American families of people killed in the 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut and other attacks blamed on Iran.

The court's 6-2 ruling dealt a setback to Iran's central bank, finding that the U.S. Congress did not usurp the authority of American courts by passing a 2012 law stating that the frozen funds should go toward satisfying a US$2.65 billion judgement won by the families against Iran in U.S. federal court in 2007. Bank Markazi had challenged a 2014 ruling by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the money, held in a Citibank trust account in New York, should be handed over to the American plaintiffs. The ruling, written by liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said the U.S. Congress did not violate the separation of powers principle enshrined in the U.S. Constitution that gives specific authority to the government's executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Ginsburg rejected the notion that the law infringed upon the role of courts by indicating how a case should be decided, saying that it instead "directs courts to apply a new legal standard to undisputed facts." It was left to the courts to determine how that standard should be implemented, she said. The lawsuit was brought by more than 1,000 Americans who have waged a long legal battle seeking compensation for attacks they say Iran orchestrated. Congress inserted itself into the dispute by passing the law to help the American plaintiffs obtain the Iranian funds. The plaintiffs accused Iran of providing material support to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist political and military group responsible for the 1983 truck bomb attack at the Marine compound in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. service members.

They also sought compensation related to other attacks including the 1996 Khobar Towers truck bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. service members. The Obama administration, the U.S. Senate and a legal group representing leaders of the House of Representatives all filed court papers backing the families. The lead plaintiff in the case is Deborah Peterson, whose brother, Marine Lance Corporal James Knipple, died in the Beirut bombing. The ruling came during a delicate period in U.S.-Iranian relations, following the January implementation of a landmark accord reached last year by the United States and five other world powers to lift economic sanctions in exchange for Iran accepting limits on its nuclear programme.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for himself and Justice Sonia Sotomayor in dissent, said he thought the law passed by Congress relating to the case violated the U.S. constitutional separation of powers. "No less than if it had passed a law saying 'respondents win,' Congress has decided this case by enacting a bespoke statute tailored to this case that resolves the parties’ specific legal disputes to guarantee respondents victory," Roberts said. The case is Bank Markazi v. Peterson, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 14-770.

US Supreme Court rejects Iran bank's bid to avoid payout to attack victims

See also:

Iran funds can go to US Beirut blast victims - Supreme Court
Wed, 20 Apr 2016 - The US Supreme Court permits the families of victims of a 1983 bombing in Beirut and other terror attacks to collect nearly $2bn (£1.4bn) in frozen Iranian assets.

The court ruled in favour of more than 1,300 relatives of the 241 Americans killed at a US Marine barracks. The US government holds the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, responsible. Both Hezbollah and Iran have denied any involvement. Iran's central bank, Bank Markazi, tried to defy court orders demanding payment for losses. It opposed a law that directs its US assets be turned over to the families.

The bombings of the US embassy and US Marine barracks, both in 1983, are believed to have been carried out by Lebanese Shia militias that went on to form Hezbollah two years later. The militias were reportedly receiving considerable military training and organisational support from Iran at the time. The next year, the US withdrew nearly all its troops from Lebanon.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the opinion for the court rejecting Iran's efforts to avoid the payments. The law "does not transgress restraints placed on Congress and the president by the Constitution", she wrote.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, arguing that the 2012 law passed by Congress was an overreach. More than 1,300 people will receive the money, relatives of victims of the Beirut bombings, a 1996 terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia and other attacks. The lead plaintiff is the sister of a US Marine killed in Beirut.

Iran funds can go to US Beirut blast victims - Supreme Court - BBC News

 

[montelatici]

Looks like the Europeans will be getting most of the business in Iran.

 

[Sally]

Looks like the Europeans will be getting most of the business in Iran.

For all we know, you as a "loyal" America loves this scenario. Why did you leave out the other countries who will be getting their business like India? Everything is not centered around Europe since it is a vast world.