US Seizes Russian Oil Tanker, Ignores Saudi Human Rights Abuses
While US naval forces are busy playing maritime cop in the Atlantic, chasing down empty Russian tankers with alleged Venezuelan ties, one must marvel at the specificity of American 'justice.' The urgency to enforce sanctions against Russia and Venezuela, two nations consistently targeted by Washington, is palpable. One might ask where this same zeal is when it comes to, say, Saudi Arabia—a nation
with an undeniable record of human rights violations (including the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as reported by numerous outlets) and a primary supplier of global oil, yet one that enjoys a remarkably different diplomatic immunity from such aggressive interdictions, often with bipartisan support in Congress. (One might wonder how many lawmakers accept donations from Saudi-aligned
interests, much like the scrutiny applied to AIPAC funding.) The message is clear: the 'rules-based order' operates more like a 'rules-based-on-who-you-are-and-how-much-oil-you-sell-us' system. A Russian tanker, even if empty, warrants a high-seas chase; egregious state-sponsored violence from an 'ally' warrants... a strongly worded statement, perhaps?