Israeli, Turkish and Saudi leaders’ cynical photo-op

The almost Soviet-style image of world leaders arm-in-arm in Paris, vividly captures the cynical efforts of powerful states to make political capital from the Charlie Hebdo atrocity.

We remember how the Israeli state killed more than 2,500 people in Gaza last summer, including more than 500 children and many journalists.

The Turkish state regularly harasses and imprisons journalists.

The west’s ally Saudi Arabia, whose particular brand of extreme Islam puts them almost on a par with Isis, publicly beheaded a total of 87 people in 2014 and has executed 10 people in the last two weeks, the most recent a Burmese woman who screamed in terror while being dragged down the street before four police officers held her down as a sword-wielding man sliced her head off.

Meanwhile prolific Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, is receiving 1,000 lashes, 50 after each Friday prayers for the next 20 weeks.

Why was the Saudi Foreign Minister welcome at the French public’s outpouring of grief?

The reaction of western powers to Saudi Arabia’s abuse of human rights is to sell it weapons of mass destruction. According to a report by the US Congressional Research Service, Riyadh signed $66 billion worth of arms transfer agreements with the US in 2011 alone.

Meanwhile, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade, Britain under David Cameron’s premiership has approved export licenses to Saudi Arabia worth £3.8bn, with £1.6bn of those in 2014 alone.

Jim Roche

Irish Anti-War Movement

PO Box 9260

Dublin 1