US waives rights sanctions on Saudi Arabia

(Reuters)

22 September 2005


WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush on Wednesday waived sanctions against Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Ecuador which the United States had earlier criticized as among the world’s worst offenders in permitting human trafficking.

The presidential determination issued as a memorandum to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice waived sanctions against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia because it was in US interest to continue democracy programs and security cooperation on the war on terrorism, an administration official said.

In the case of Ecuador, a full waiver of sanctions was granted because it was in US interest to strengthen Ecuador’s democracy and support its efforts to combat trafficking in narcotics and people, the official said.

In June, the State Department in its annual report on human trafficking downgraded Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the lowest level of compliance in efforts to fight human trafficking.

The Gulf allies had provided logistical support for the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and have oil resources important for the United States.

The State Department human trafficking report put them into the lowest category called Tier 3, in which countries may be subject to sanctions included withholding of US aid that is not for humanitarian or trade purposes, if they do not improve their records in three months.

The presidential determination said Cambodia, Venezuela, Burma, Cuba and North Korea should be sanctioned for “continued failure to comply with the act’s minimum standards and failure to make significant efforts to comply,” the administration official said.

Bolivia, Jamaica, Qatar, Sudan, Togo and the United Arab Emirates were determined to have made “significant efforts to comply” with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act since the State Department released its report, the official said.

That effectively removed those countries off the lowest level of Tier 3, the official said.

Am surprised Kuwait had sanctions. I know Saudi Arabia has a lot of problems with the U.S. especially when it comes to joining the WTO (finally they agreed on terms). It's funny though how behind closed doors, they're best buddies.

The U.S and Russia are very used to having a two-faced policy, now joined by Europe.
It basically means: ideals must be upheld. but money is more powerful than ideals.

its about time, backward countries like these should be kicked on their asses

You cant force developement just with violence. For example, democracy takes a lot of resources. It takes that a country can give education to its people etc. For poor countries communism is often a tempting solution to their issues.

Remember, the European nations first became democracy when the resources where their,economically, and good education for most people. Countries like China i think will become more and more democratic as they get the possibility to work as a democacy. Democracy is demanding and cannot be forced with violence and isolation. Like Cuba.

It's sad that money gives so much power. A company should have no less power as a legal person then any other person.

Money should be a tool for society, not run it. We can see environment being exploated and animals exterminated becouse of this, to name just two consequences.