On October 19, in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, President Bush declared, I hereby certify that Saudi Arabia is cooperating with efforts to combat international terrorism and that the proposed assistance will help facilitate that effort. U.S. law requires this step to allow previously appropriated financial assistance to be delivered to Riyadh. primaries the Presidents certification michigan primaries amid debate over a much more consequential form of assistance to Saudi Arabiaa deal to sell $20 billion michigan primaries of arms to the kingdom and other Gulf states over ten years. First proposed in July and currently pending further action michigan primaries the White House, the terms have met michigan primaries in Congress, where concerns about the real level of Saudi commitment to fighting terrorism remain. A letter by Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY), signed by a bipartisan group of 114 members of Congress, argues, Saudi Arabia has not behaved like an ally of the United States. They have exported fighters and suicide bombers to the war in Iraq. They have provided funding for terrorist michigan primaries throughout the world.

But this, and most other recent criticisms of Saudi Arabia, omits what may be the most troubling aspect of the countrys behavior and the most threatening to long-term U.S. interests: The appalling state of human rights and the lack of meaningful political reform in the kingdom. The problem is not that the Saudi regime directly encourages terrorist activity, as Weiners letter suggests, but rather that the political situation in the country provides the conditions that spur disenchanted Saudis to violence. Surprisingly few U.S. politiciansand none of the leading presidential michigan primaries raised this concern michigan primaries response to the arms deal, even though Saudi repression isnt exactly a secret.

Empirical studies increasingly point to the lack of democracy as a key cause of terrorism. Drawing on the findings of their important 2003 study of terrorist attacks, Princetons Alan Krueger and Czech scholar Jitka Malecková noted that the only variable that was consistently associated with the number of terrorists was Freedom House index of political rights and civil liberties. Their conclusion is a troubling one, particularly in a region where our closest allies in the war on terror are among the most repressive: Countries with more freedom were less likely michigan primaries be the birthplace of international terrorists.

The data strongly supports what has long been an intuitive argumentwhen legitimate avenues for expressing grievances and influencing policy are unavailable, people are more likely to resort to radicalism and political violence. In this context, it is hardly surprising that Saudi Arabia has been a main source of international terrorismnot only were 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers Saudi, but, according to various reports, more suicide bombers and foreign fighters in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia than from any other country.

The established link between tyranny and terror means that Saudi Arabias internal political situation should be cause for much greater alarm. The country is among the worlds most undemocratic, according to every respected independent assessment.

Meanwhile, the notorious mutawwin, or morality police, have broad discretion to harass anyone not meeting arbitrary standards of propriety.

 Despite these reforms, Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy, in which the king is the highest authority, able to rule by decree. Officially, the Koran is the Saudi constitution. A code of laws known as the Basic Law governs issues not discussed in the Koran, but michigan primaries is subordinate to the monarchy and the religious establishment.