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Saudi
Arabia has grown rich because of it's oil
fields.
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Saudi
Arabia, an Ally
Today the most powerful of the princes in Saudi
Arabia, Crown Prince Abdullah, holds the fate of
Bill Sampson in his hands. He is the only man who
can legally overturn Sampson's death sentence.
Saudi Arabia and its royal princes have become fabulously
wealthy because they control much of the world's
oil production. And they've been traditionally friendly
towards the west. They see themselves as allies
of the West and have gone to great extremes to show
Western governments that there is no danger in Saudi
Arabia.
Enemies in the Kingdom
But extremist groups like Al Queda have been moving
closer to the Saudi mainstream and openly demonstrating
against the corruption of the royal family. Crude
attacks - like car bombs - have been occurring against
Westerners unabated even though sixteen foreigners
are already in prison.
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Saudi
Arabia is home to a growing number of Muslim
extremists.
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Some
people believe that the jailed foreigners are scapegoats
selected to conceal evidence of a growing political
crisis. Dissident Dr. Al Fagih, "The regime has
been extremely successful in deceiving the west including
America. That it is very stable, that is has eradicated
all jihad groups, there is no danger...but according
to our information the Saudi authorities know very
well that there are those small jihad groups who maybe
affiliated with Al Qaeda."
Still,
Foreign Minister Sa'ud al Faisal remains resolute
in blaming the Westerners and insists that their
confessions were not extracted under torture, "I
know how my government is being run...I know all
officers in the government are above torture and
things like that."
The Other Canadian
But Bill Sampson wasn't the only Canadian being
tortured in a Saudi jail. Another Canadian was arrested
with accountant Ron Jones
and accused of bombing a downtown Riyadh bookstore.
Keen to avoid another diplomatic crisis Canadian
officials spirited him out of the country and then
told him to lay low and stay quiet. Having survived
the justice system in Saudi Arabia he refused an
interview with the fifth estate, fearing reprisals
from his own government.
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Saudi
Arabia's Ambassador to Canada claims that
Sampson is guilty.
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A
Growing Controversy
Canadian politicians have been careful to keep relations
with Saudi Arabia cordial. Meanwhile Saudi diplomats
monitor the growing controversy reassuring Canadians
that they don't really intend to execute Bill Sampson.
But they continue to insist on his guilt. Ambassador
Mohammed al Husseini, "If he's innocent he
would have been released a long time ago. But there
is still a question mark. He's under investigation."
Meanwhile there is a growing outrage in the Canadian
media and among advocates for the wrongly convicted.
James Sampson, "That is a hard mountain, when
you wake up alone every morning, when you're alone
all day, everyday, and you have nothing to do, nothing
to think about, nobody to talk to...He survived
this long, but I don't know how long he will survive."
More...Read
the Update
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