I think almost all of us, progressive and otherwise, are conscious that we live in a strange and special era. “The best of times and the worst of times” … yada yada; not “evil” like the 1930s, but strange, dysfunctional, unstable, unpredictable and of a sinister syncopation.
How could we define it?
I would define this time we live in as “the end of the post-Cold-War,” the end of one thing, without the new thing being yet apparent.
The truth about Saudi Arabia is often shrouded in mystery.
While the regime remains an ally of the U.K. and U.S., its human rights abuses and (intentional or otherwise) funding of terrorism have caused controversy. The Saudi government aims to keep these issues covered up. However, the ITV documentary “Exposure: Saudi Arabia Uncovered” attempted to shed light on what it is like to live in the secretive Kingdom.
This attempt was immediately countered by a pro-Saudi Twitter account which could possibly be connected to the Saudi regime.
“Exposure: Saudi Arabia Uncovered “aired at 10:50 on 22nd February. By 2:00am on February 23rd, a Twitter account had appeared — @Basics-of-Saudi — which describes itself as a “not-for-profit charitable-organisation.”
A scroll-down reveals the account was created on 22nd February — the same day “Exposure: Saudi Arabia Uncovered” first aired. Its stated aim is “countering malicious propaganda and developing a greater understanding between Saudi-Arabia & Western-world.”
Headlines in Western media reported that “new evidence supports claims about Syrian state detention deaths.” The Guardian added that “a leading rights group has released new evidence that up to 7,000 Syrians who died in state detention centres were tortured, mistreated, or executed” and, noting that this information is a moral wake-up call, demanded that officials being held to account should be “central to peace efforts.”
However, as is usually so, not everything is quite as it seems. So let’s take a look at the facts.
First the timing.
As has become commonplace, the timing of reports like these almost always coincide with important diplomatic meetings or just after important UN resolutions are passed.
