Powell Says Saudi Women Should Have Vote

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Oct. 12, 2004

Powell Says Saudi Women Should Have Vote
Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Disagreeing with officials in Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that women should be allowed to participate in the kingdom's first nationwide elections.

"I think women should be allowed," Powell said in an interview with the U.S.-financed Arab television network Alhurra.

Saudi election officials said Tuesday that there was not enough time to prepare women to vote in the elections.

"These things have to come in due course, and I am still waiting to see if this is the final official position of the Saudi government," Powell said.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9900...

[sonicx]

1. let's invade!

It's the job of the US to spread freedom. Let's get to it!

[Jacobin]

13. Yes. Immediately

All countries on earth must forthwith comport with all (current) governmental norms of the U.S.

Also, Saudi companies must start giving large bribes to government officials, if they aren't already. Alcohol must be served freely. Each town must have at least two titty bars. Football will become the national sport and each town must have a team.

Give'em ten days to adopt our form of government. If they don't we invade. They're either with us, or against us.

/sarcasm

[daleo]

2. Wow, I didn't know Powell was so democratically minded

To think that he believes in women's suffrage, it is just mind blowing.

[patdem]

3. That is the republican stance..you know Democrats hate woman's rights

WOW...women should be able to vote...did he destroy bush*s base with that controversial statement?

[Bullshot]

4. What are we going to do about it?

Thanks largely to the Bush family, the Saudi Royal Family has this country on the palm of their hands. They own something like 7% of this nation's economy. If they pull out, we'd have a major economic convulsion.

How do we show our gratitude? Carlyle group provides military protection to keep the royal family in power. Bush's buddy James Baker's law firm is representing the Saudi Royal Family in the lawsuit filed against them by family members of 9/11 victims.

This country has basically sold its soul to the devil because we're too damned lazy and greedy to develop and market alternative fuels to wean us from Mideast oil.

The argument that the alternative fuels are too expensive is lame. When you factor in the cost of providing military protection to oil companies in the Persian Gulf, it costs over $5/gallon to extract a gallon of oil from the Mideast.

[CO Liberal]

5. CO Liberal Says Everyone in Florida Should Have Vote

Especially those who were disenfranchised in 2000.

[Mary0505]

6. The Quran

The Quran says women should always be allowed to vote. I guess that means the Saudis are not following the law of Islam. Thats weird.

[Disturbed]

7. The House of Saud...

are brutal Fascists. The stupid excuse they gave was that women could not be photographed so they could not vote. Take their fingerprints instead of photos so they can vote. The Saudi Dictatorship is afraid that if women were allowed to vote that they would start a revolution against the Saudi Dynasty.

[tom_paine]

8. LOL...like the Imperial families of Amerika OR Saudi Arabia give a shit

WHAT he says.

One wonders how awful these Busheviks will be with Colon's "moderating influence".

It will be interesting to see.

Bye-bye, Colon. Don't let the door hit you on your treasonous ass on the way out.

[medeak]

9. how about being able to drive a car?

to start off with.

Even our servicewomen can't drive and have to cover head.

[Mary0505]

10. Horrible

Isn't it? Geez... I bet they were able to drive and had a choice of covering their hair un Iraq under Saddam.

[medeak]

11. welcome to DU Mary

[hatrack]

12. Yes, Colin, and soon they'll fall in line!

Just like they did when you commanded Israelis and Palestinians to speed the peace process forward.

Whatever . . .

[Malva Zebrina]

14. Shoudn't this job have been given to Laura?

She has more clout than Powell. Look what she did for the women in Afganistan!

[coreystone]

15. What do you think???.. Do you think it would be consistant with....

a society of chauvinists in the middle east dating back to ....?

There are people in this country who would just love to have the civil rights progress (especially of the sixties) revert to the 1700's (and, our founding fathers). Do you really expect the "tribal societies" of this region to accomodate the rights of equality for ALL, in the same way that the United States has never been able to do???

Long Live Ghandi!

Long Live Martin Luther King!

Peace!

May the Force Be With You!

Live Long and Prosper!

AND

Why don't we get it right in this country first!!!

---------------

JudiLyn - Nothing personal, I'm just in a real BLUNT mood right now!

[Judi Lynn]

16. A hearty "good for you." Glad to know you also don't think it's our place

to violate other countries'/societies' sensibilities, or even lack thereof, and also believe it's more decent to stay out of their way while they find their own progress their own way, WITHOUT our interference.

I would hope you also despise our right-wing legislators' tying conditions to all foreign "aid" going to countries we have plundered, and savaged.

Manipulation of others is truly a nasty habit. Unbelievably dishonest, and totally out of place.

[w4rma]

17. He only says stuff like this when he knows it won't affect them at all.

I.e. he's only saying this to give the appearance of a moderate.

[Demeter]

18. Saudi Women Can't Even Drive, and He wants Them to Vote?

The man has no concept!