Sunday, February 21, 2016

Saudi foreign minister on wearing shoes

"SPIEGEL: How do you explain the ideological closeness between the Wahhabi faith in Saudi Arabia and Islamic State's ideology? How do you explain that Daesh applies, with slight differences, the same draconian punishments that the Saudi judiciary does?

Al-Jubeir: This is an oversimplification which doesn't make sense. Daesh is attacking us. Their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, wants to destroy the Saudi state. These people are criminals. They're psychopaths. Daesh members wear shoes. Does this mean everybody who wears shoes is Dash?"   In fact, many ISIS members wear sandals or flip-flops.  We have not had a strategic thinker holding the foreign ministry position since Lord Palmerston.