While many expressed outrage over Saudi Arabia's appointment as head of a United Nations' Human Rights Council panel, one nation has given its seal of approval. Despite the Kingdom's deplorable rights record, the US State Department "welcomes" the UN's decision.

After it was revealed earlier this week that Saudi Arabia would chair the key UN Human Rights panel, many were shocked by the inherent hypocrisy behind the decision. Writing for the Daily Beast, Salil Tripathi pointed out that the "Saudi government is unelected and run by one large family, or clan," which "executes prisoners with particular relish, turning their executions into a public spectacle."

Director of the Human Rights Action Center Jack Healey also indicated his surprise.

"In essence, there has to be a human rights council," he told Sputnik. "But the human rights protection will depend upon those who are interested in promoting human rights. And the government of Saudi Arabia has a long history of not allowing human rights activists to monitor in their own country."

One entity not particularly shocked or surprised by Riyadh's appointment is the US State Department. During a briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner revealed the US position during an exchange with Associated Press reporter Matt Lee.

"Again, I don't have any comment, don't have any reaction to it," Toner said. "I mean, frankly, it's - we would welcome it. We're close allies."

This is, perhaps, an unsurprising position for the United States to take. Washington has a history of overlooking Riyadh's systemic abuse, precisely because the two countries are such close allies.

"The US loves human-rights-abusing regimes and always has, provided they 'cooperate,'" Glenn Greenwald wrote for the Intercept. "The only time the US government pretends to care in the slightest about human rights abuses is when they're carried out by 'countries that don't cooperate.'"

According to Amnesty International, 102 individuals were executed by the Saudi government within the first six months of 2015, most of those by beheading. The Kingdom is also prepared to crucify a 21-year-old for taking part in pro-democracy protests.

"It's bad enough that Saudi Arabia is a member of the council, but for the UN to go and name the regime as chair of a key panel only pours salt in the wounds for dissidents languishing in Saudi prisons," UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer wrote for his organization's website.

"I mean, we have an ongoing discussion with them about all these human rights issues, like we do with every country," Toner said on Tuesday. "We make our concerns clear when we do have concerns, but that dialogue continues. But I don't have anything to point to in terms of progress."

"Change of subject?" the AP reporter asked, mercifully.

"Sure," Toner replied.




hmmmmm... a dictatorship led country that treats it's women about the same as a farmer would treat his cows leads the UN in Human rights...

They are smoking crack!

seems like it... i can't even think of any logical reasoning on this one...

I can't either. But then I don't understand a lot...Obama's Nobel Peace Prize, PETA wanting money for a monkey selfie.... This world needs an enema!

That dude will get beheaded first and then his headless body crucified.

In the spirt of Halloween...

None of the past few nations chosen by the U.N., to head the human rights panel, have had any record of actual human rights.

The U.N., UNinvolved in human rights.

C'mon, it's Saudi Arabia. A place where the strip joints feature a women removing a niqab and advertise it as 'full facial nudity!'.

A country where you can't actually tell a 'women are bad drivers' joke! They just look at you and say "I don't get it..."

A country where THIS joke actually is funny... "Why did the woman cross the road?" Answer "Who the hell cares! What is she doing outside by herself???!!!"

The ruling family, stands accused of regularly invoking 'diplomatic immunity' when it beats the crap out of call girls in the states. Apparently they love South Beach in Florida. When they blow into town you can't find a working girl over $500 an hour available in the greater Miami area. The Saudis buy them all up for a week, have their way,and then apparently enjoy bouncing them off the floors and walls of their hotel suites before heading to the airport.

The cops show up, and they all whip out diplo passports and tell the cops to take a hike.

So between the beheadings, rapes, wife beatings, and the fun and games they have away from home, they are hardly bastions of civilized behaviour. It is however ALL they know. No one has actually ever stopped them from doing as they please.

So, these clowns as champions of human rights? Puhleese.

I was pulling for North Korea but, maybe next time.

Damn...might as well make me head of the UN. I would probably do a better job

well, the middle east is known for how great they treat women and anyone who disagrees with them anyway, so it was probably the best choice...

That's the problem, you would do a good job! Their decisions are not about "good", they are about politics.

That's sad

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/22/teenager-sentenced-to-death-by-crucifixion-in-saudi-arabia_n_8177584.html

Big Ears and Horseface ought to be forced to watch the Execution!
Callous Lunkerheads!