I will protest this, and their other human rights abuses by never traveling there, for any reason, ever.
If you want to replace oil, make the alternative undeniably CHEAPER.
The reality is that U.S. is more dependent on oil than any other major industrialized economy. We consume more than the EU, and we consume almost as much as Asia, despite being some small fraction of that continent's population.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_consu...
The Saudis just flipped us off. We should get off of oil.
1. Stop selling KSA and UAE weapons.
2. Reduce or cancel sanctions sanctioning on Iran, Syria and Lebanon (regimes the KSA has tried to undermine).
3. Make public arguments against the Saudi occupation of Bahrain.
4. Yemen:
4.1 Arrange a weapons embargo on KSA while their Yemen campaign continue
4.2 Ensure safe passage to naval and air vessels to Yemen
4.3 Send some humanitarian aid to Yemen (they need it at least as much, and probably more, than Ukraine)
4.4 Recognize the Houthi grievances in Yemen and support peace talks and a federated resolution of the Yemeni civil war.
1.) While the UAE and Qatar were initially in the Saudi camp at the start of the war, they have both since left the field - Qatar because their plan was a token response from the start, and the UAE because of significant casualties (and a petition from the mother of a slain soldier).
2.) Iran is currently beating up and killing their own population for protesting. Syria used chemical gas against their own population for protesting. Lebanon is basically Iran's little Mediterranean bitch. You would like us to unsanction these regimes??
3.) Saudi Arabia hasn't been occupying Bahrain - KSA and the UAE "monitor" it on behalf of the Emir of Bahrain. A better way to rephrase this would be: force the Emir out and let the people of Bahrain decide for themselves.
4.) Yes, the West should embargo the Saudis on weapon sales. Not that it would affect them much since they'll just buy from Russia and China, but that is the moral path.
5.) Ask the Houthis for safe naval and air passage in Yemen. They're the ones causing disruptions in the area.
6.) Any humanitarian aid to Yemen somehow ends up with the Houthis.
7.) Houthis don't have any "grievances". Yemen has been divided between a Sunni half and a Shia half since the start of Islam. For the most part historically, Yemen was largely Sunni-dominated. It's only recently that the Houthis are able to put up a fight, and that's largely due to Iranian support and funding.
9.) Leaving the Houthis alone will only let Iran's theocracy impose their own puppet in the area. That is not something the world needs.
10.) Sure, sue MBS, but that's just opening a whole other can of worms.
Like it or not, Iran is just as bad as Saudi Arabia. Both countries rely on a modus operandi of training terrorists and spreading them abroad to cause chaos and fear, and ultimately acquiescence. On that front, Saudi Arabia is still a better ally, since most of the Gulf monarchies have come to the realization that supporting religious fundamentalists abroad has been a retarded thing to do because they'll return to fuck up their monarchical systems later on.
Indeed. Though there's much more hope that Iran will experience some kind of regime change given it's young population that's becoming increasingly dissatisfied with religious rule.
2. UAE is generally aligned with KSA on many/most issues, not just Yemen. As for Yemen - IIANM, they back the "Southern Transitional Council", which holds a large part of the country's territory including Aden.
3. KSA sent tanks into Bahrain when things got out of hand, and backs the kingdom financially and militarily as necessary. It has also apparently been involved in inwards population transfer to alter the demographic balance for better average subservience. So, it's technically not an occupation, but maintaining a monarchy opposed by the population is pretty close.
4. Some international cooperation could lead to a global weapons embargo on KSA. Of course, the US is not much for international cooperation these days, but still.
5. Don't remember the Houthis having much sway over US and Saudi air and naval forces in the region, which would be necessary for a naval blockade.
6. Not really + it's fine if a lot of it ends up in the Houthi-controlled areas - a lot of the population is there after all, and they're the side which is most besieged, right?
7. Oh, people have grievances alright. You just gave one reason yourself: Sunni domination. I'm sure it's more complicated than that. Yemen has had 33 years under the control of the same president, with KSA support, which given the nature of that regime - I'm sure has not been a lot of fun for the population. Poverty and corruption have apparently been plaguing Yemen for a long while now. As for "Iranian support and funding" - I would not be surprised if the extent of it are overblown. At least early in the civil war (2015), even the US NSC acknowledged that "It remains our assessment that Iran does not exert command and control over the Houthis in Yemen" (quoted in Wikipedia).
8. No number 8?
9. You seem to be squarely on the KSA side of things. Do you have evidence to back up the claim that the North-Western/Houthi rebel movement is planning on making Yemen a Shia theocracy? Plus, the Houthis are not even from the same religious current as the Iranians, and don't recognize the Twelve divinely-chosen Imams etc.
> Like it or not, Iran is just as bad as Saudi Arabia.
Not remotely. Saudi Arabia is an order of magnitude worse both internally and externally. I believe your view is colored by how the US paints Iran, which is motivated first and foremost by the fact that Iran freed itself from US imperial control with the 1979 revolution. Yes, the post-1979 Iranian government is a semi-democratic theocracy, militaristic and quite repressive - but that's still nowhere near the extremely warped, corrupt monarchy of the KSA.
> Saudi Arabia is still a better ally
Ah, so I've wasted this whole reply, since your perspective is that of the USA. Yeah, well, I guess it is a better ally for you - because it's been an effective force in suppressing liberation struggles in the region, and a decent trading partner. It's no "ally" of the people of the region, though.
It’s sad people conflate being moral with anti-american.
Also what is the obsession with calling middle eastern countries “regimes”? Lebanon has had elections and government changes throughout its history.
Also please dont forget who funded isis. Iran has no equivalent “religious extremists”, isis is on a whole other level.
In syria and lebanon, you have countless christians and even sunnis that support iran. In fact, overwhelming christians support iran since the sunni counterpart has shown itself much more hostile to other faiths.
Unfortunately it's a little too late for that, so we're left with the current clusterfuck of a situation.
Let's not pretend that they are innocent children being manipulated by the powerful West.