'Kingdom of the Unjust behind the US-Saudi Connection' Book Unveiled in Washington
WASHINGTON, DC (Tasnim) – A book titled “Kingdom of the Unjust behind the US-Saudi Connection” by Medea Benjamin, a member of CODEPINK in Washington, was unveiled during a ceremony in the US capital.
According to Tasnim dispatches, local activists and concerned community members gathered at popular DC eatery Busboys and Poets on Tuesday to discuss the book.
During the ceremony, Benjamin said the book was written with the help of her fellow CODEPINK members.
CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement, working to end the US-funded wars and occupations, challenge militarism on a global level, and redirect resources into healthcare, education and jobs market.
She added that Marwa al-Faraj, a Saudi woman, and also an unknown Yemeni woman have contributed to the book.
Briefly summarizing the focus and intent of the book, Benjamin, who is an anti-war figure, opened with the basic question, “Why is the US so close to Saudi regime and why don’t regular Americans do something about it?”
She said the book is aimed at building awareness of the US-Saudi connection, from its beginnings in 1933 when Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) won a concession to explore for oil in eastern Saudi Arabia.
Moving forward with the discussion, Benjamin noted that although the US-Saudi relationship began with oil, America now only gains approximately 13 percent of its petroleum needs from the Saudis; so why does the relationship continue? The bottom line answer to that question is that the Saudis are basically propping up America’s military industrial complex, ordering 110 billion dollars worth of weapons from them. Much of that sum was negotiated under former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
