October 3, 2005
PANDERING:
Iraqi slurs Saudi official: 'Bedouin riding a camel' (Washington Times, October 3, 2005)
Iraq's interior minister lashed out yesterday at a Saudi minister who voiced worries about growing Iranian influence and Shi'ite power, saying Iraq would not be lectured by "some Bedouin riding a camel." [...]Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, a member of the Shi'ite Islamist Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, fired back during a press conference in Amman yesterday, saying, "We will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal issues, regardless of their political status. ...
"This Iraq is the cradle of civilization that taught humanity reading and writing, and some Bedouin riding a camel wants to teach us. This talk is totally rejected," he said.
He also took a swipe at the Saudi monarchy.
"There are regimes that are dictatorships. They have one God. He is the king, he is God of heaven and earth, and he rules as he likes," Mr. Jabr said.
"A whole country is named after a family. If we open these topics without inhibitions, it is neither to our benefit, nor to theirs."
That kind of talk is sure to appeal to the Left and far Right here. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 3, 2005 8:27 AM
It even sounds good to us middle-of-the-roaders.
Posted by: David Cohen at October 3, 2005 9:13 AMHow would you know?
Posted by: oj at October 3, 2005 9:51 AMActually, even though I hang out at this lefty site, I'm pretty conservative.
Posted by: David Cohen at October 3, 2005 10:00 AMRadically Right.
Posted by: oj at October 3, 2005 10:13 AM"Bedouin riding a camel"
Another slur you hear all of the time is "raghead". Those are not rags on their heads, but small folded sheets. The proper term should be, "little sheet heads".
Posted by: AllenS![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://brothersjuddblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 3, 2005 10:25 AM
There's always -- or at least since they struck it rich -- been substantial hostility to the "desert arabs" from the arabs of the urban centers in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt.
There was a substantial Syrian Christian community where I grew up, and they'vealways said the same and worse about the Saudis et al.
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at October 3, 2005 10:41 AMI don't know what your problem with that statement is OJ. Saudi Arabia is not a state, it is a family posession. And King Abdullah's father was a desert bandito, a camel ridding bedu.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at October 3, 2005 10:48 AMI like it and I'm Neither far left or right.
Posted by: Genecis at October 3, 2005 12:14 PMWhat a nice way to call someone a "camel jockey."
Posted by: Sandy P at October 3, 2005 1:08 PMMy prediction; the war spreads to Iran precisely over this issue.
Posted by: Phil at October 3, 2005 1:33 PMThat kind of talk will appeal to everyone. Kerry made a few anti-Saudi noises last year before rapidly returning to his "take no position on anything, but if you must, make sure you're on BOTH sides" campaign strategy. Expect Hillary to rhetorically treat Saudi Arabia in '08 the way Bill treated China in '92...
Posted by: b at October 3, 2005 1:57 PM