For Saudi Arabia, the recent mass execution of Shi’ite detainees was
barely an issue. The nation’s Shi’ite minority is not well-regarded by
the kingdom’s leadership, and even many of them protesting their innocence
was hardly a blip domestically. The Saudi state was even comfortable
enough taking one of the men and crucifying him publicly as a “warning
to others.”
This all fueled a lot of criticism from the US and Europe, where the
mass execution of members of a religious minority was seen as
potentially problematic. The State Department was uncharacteristically
critical of the Saudis, seeing religious freedom as at risk in these
killings.
One group the Saudis probably didn’t expect to condemn them was al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Yemeni-based al-Qaeda affiliate
which has often killed Shi’ites itself.
AQAP, however, issued a statement accusing the Saudis of conducting the killings to try to “appease America,”
and promised to carry out revenge on their behalf, saying they would
not forget about the death of the “noble children of the nation.”
Al-Qaeda in Yemen Vows Revenge Over Saudi Mass Executions
Al-Qaeda takes position echoing US, Western opposition
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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