Steve Russell: The real origins of the world's terrorism crisis

Nicholas Kristof published an op-ed in The New York Times on October 29 about Ali al-Nimr, who has been sentenced to have his head whacked off in public and his headless torso crucified. He was 17 at the time of his crime, which was participating in anti-government protests. Another government critic who did not take to the streets but merely disagreed about the role of religion in the government of his country got 10 years, a $267,000 fine, and 1,000 lashes.

So what part of Iran were these unfortunate critics from? Or did the sentences come from the terrorists of the so-called Islamic State, Daesh, most recently heard from in the streets of Paris?

Neither. They are Saudis who dared criticize the House of Saud, a decadent dynasty with more royalty than Daesh has suicide bombers. As this series was being edited, Human Rights Watch announced the outcome of an appeal by Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh, who had been sentenced to four years in prison and 800 lashes for apostasy after a witness testified he heard Fayadh curse Islam. On appeal, the penalty was withdrawn in favor of death, which is almost always carried out by public beheading.

Well, at least Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with the 9-11 attacks---oops.