Americans ask: Why is Saudi monarchy our friend, but not democratic Iran?

The Los Angeles Times’ readership has questioned Washington’s claims of supporting democracy and social freedoms worldwide, asking why the US opts for amity and economic reciprocity with Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy, but antagonizes democratic Iran.

The reactions were published in the paper on Tuesday under the title, “Iran just held an election. So why is the theocratic monarchy Saudi Arabia our friend?”

The readers asked the reason why US President Donald Trump befriended a regime, which was defiant of what the US upholds as its core values.

“We go around the world selling and evangelizing equality, freedom of choice, free elections, self-determination and democracy,” said one reader.
This is while the kingdom does not select its rulers through election and has the radical ideology of Wahhabism as its state religion, he added, asking, “How can we look at ourselves in the mirror without seeing two faces?”

Another said Saudi Arabia does not tolerate religious diversity unlike Iran, and that its money had financed the 9/11 attacks, while no terrorist attack in the US had been linked to Iran.