DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP/The Blaze) — The DJ had the dance floor rocking. The bartender served up a special vodka punch. The host was a prince — complete with his own entourage.
An A-list LA party? Fashion week in Paris?
Try Saudi Arabia, home of roving Islamic morality police enforcing the most austere codes in the Middle East.
That’s the insider account by a U.S. diplomat, whose night on the town in the Red Sea city of Jiddah (mission: to observe “social interaction” of rich Saudi youth) was summarized in a confidential memo released Wednesday by WikiLeaks.
“The underground nightlife of Jiddah’s elite youth is thriving and throbbing,” the memo said. “The full range of worldly temptations and vices are available — alcohol, drugs, sex — but all behind closed doors.”
Wait, this is Saudi Arabia they are talking about? The place where women are banned from driving and can be jailed for socializing with men outside their family? The land whose brand of Islam, known as Wahhabism, is perhaps best known in the West for beheadings and its role as somber guardian for the holy pilgrimage cities of Mecca and Medina?
To those unfamiliar with the undercurrents of the Middle East, it all could seem a bit hard to fathom. But the U.S. cable touches on a basic lesson for understanding the region: public mores and private passions can be very far apart. It’s a bit like a cultural version of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Wild parties rage behind closed doors in Tehran even as Iran’s hard-liners tighten their grip. Conservative Gulf sheiks make sure their wine cellars are well stocked.
Outside Saudi Arabia, it’s not unusual to see a traveler from the desert kingdom hunkered down at an airport bar or letting loose in Bahrain — a favorite party haunt for Saudis who can simply drive over a causeway and, sometimes, weave their way home.
“What one quickly realizes about the Middle East is that there are layers upon layers in society,” said Salman Shaikh, director of The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar.
But he does not believe that Saudi officials will face much fallout from the disclosure.
“There’s certainly the potential for some embarrassment, but a closed society like Saudi is based on a series of social deals,” he said. “It‘s really not in anyone’s interest to call attention to these deals or try to tear them up.”
Saudi government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The American diplomat who wrote the January 2009 cable added just enough flourish to give the invitation to a Halloween party an intrepid feel. It’s a look, he writes, “behind the facade of Wahhabi conservatism in the streets.”
It begins by clearing the prince’s security detail. Next up was a coat-check area where women pulled off their head-to-toe black abayas.
Inside, Filipino bartenders served up a cocktail punch using moonshine vodka. An American “energy drink company” — whose name was blacked out on the WikiLeaks release — helped bankroll the bash that included, the diplomat was told, some prostitutes mingling in the crowd.
“Not uncommon for such parties,” the cable said.
“The scene resembled a nightclub anywhere outside the kingdom: plentiful alcohol, young couples dancing, a DJ at the turntables and everyone in costume,” the message continued.
Bottles of name-brand booze were behind the bar, but apparently only for display. A black market bottle of Smirnoff, the cable said, can cost up to $400 “when available” compared with about $26 for a bottle of home-brewed vodka.
That appeared even too irresistible a savings for the well-connected host, a prince whose family ties go back six generations to dovetail with the lineage of Saudi King Abdullah, who is currently in New York recuperating after two back surgeries.
The prince’s name was redacted from the cable posted by WikiLeaks. But it gave a sense of his privilege. “Although … not in line for the throne, he still enjoys the perks of a mansion, luxury car, lifetime stipend and security entourage,” the cable said.
It’s apparently also enough political juice to keep the feared morality police at bay. Their power — always strong — has further increased in recent years as Saudi clerics and others push back harder against what’s perceived as threatening liberal trends among the young.
The American cable said the religious police were “nowhere to be seen” near the party.
“Saudi youth get to enjoy relative social freedom and indulge fleshly pursuits,” the cable said, “but only behind closed doors — and only the rich.”
Wajeha al-Hawaidar, a Saudi activist who has been banned from writing or appearing on Saudi TV because of her support for women’s rights, said the private, Western-style indulgences are “well known outside and inside Saudi Arabia.”
“When you put much pressure on a society, people will still go on with their life,” she said. “We are not rocks. We are human beings.”
WikiLeaks’ classified documents dump also revealed that Saudi youth love American television — particularly Fox News Channel. The UK’s Guardian reports that David Letterman, Desperate Housewives and Friends are also powerful weapons against “violent jihad.”
“It’s still all about the war of ideas here, and the American programming on MBC and Rotana [a channel part-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation] is winning over ordinary Saudis in a way that al-Hurra and other US propaganda never could,” two Saudi media executives told a US official in a meeting at a Jeddah branch of Starbucks. “Saudis are now very interested in the outside world and everybody wants to study in the US if they can. They are fascinated by US culture in a way they never were before,” the May 2009 cable says.
The popularity of the channels is particularly surprising given Rotana broadcasts Fox News, the rightwing News Corp channel that takes a hard line against Islamic radicalism and has strongly supported US military intervention in the Middle East.
Move over, Hollywood. Hello, Riyadh?
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Comments (60)
patriotwoman
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 4:21amThis does not surprise me at all. A former boss once told me about his time in Saudi Arabia and the parties he attended with members of the bin Laden family (yes, THAT bin Laden family). Lots and lots of booze and debauchery – and the “religious police” just look the other way.
Report Post »hunt4trouble
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 2:15am“Never let a good crisis go to waste” – Do you think the US Administration will use the Wikileaks attack on national security as a reason to push for more Internet controls, such as Net Neutrality?
Report Post »kterris
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 1:06amnot at all surprised… and i used to live there…
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 12:40amMy first run in with these people was at NAS Miramar at a technical school I was attending. The Navy was doing a program in training Egyptian technicians for their airforce. We had four of their students and the first thing I noticed how bad they reeked. Friendly enough and jovial. One who appeared to speak english the best asked us if we could buy him some girly books at the post exchange as if this is all we do. I don’t buy books like that myself so it was kinda like uh maybe you should ask him over there, maybe he can do that for you.
For most muslims who come to the US it is like one of us going to Vegas I guess. Folks want to go nuts and have a great time, it is what they have been told about the US that we are party central, whores, booze, gambling all the time. Like we don’t really do anything else. Living in a respressed society as they do I can understand why. But then to blame others when they get caught behaving naughty how child like is that?
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 12:30amThey are the biggest hipocrites I have ever seen. Having seen it first hand in clubs at Bahrain where I’ve been known to tip back a few. They come over the causeway from the mainland of Saudi to Bahrain which is considered by their standards the Vegas of their little sand box kingdom. They hit on men in the johns and shower bills on the belly dancers. All sailors who travel their have been read the riot act on what to expect and some have even been raped there (its a dirty little secret the military doesn’t advertise). All military persons must travel in groups larger than 3 to 4. I went out kicking the town with 7-8. The hired help for the massage parlors other entertainers is brought in from abroad mostly from the Phillippines. Watch out!
Report Post »Sledgehammer
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 11:59pmWe have the same thing going on here, only we call it GOVERNMENT! Drugs, hootch, and hookers, for every member!
Report Post »diesel71dan
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 10:29pmDamn… I should have hit the spell check on that one. I am obviously not too fluent in English either. Sorry about that LOL
Report Post »Deutscher
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:56pmMost religions have an “out” for what they consider bad behavior, be it confession/penance, forgiveness, or the 4 Perls of Bahrain. The world is full of hypocrites no reason Saudis don’t have them as well.
Report Post »ULYSSESG
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:44pmMy only question is how many boys did Michael Jackson Bang over there ?
Report Post »Is this a shocker to anyone ?
jjufon
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:38pmi spend a lot of time in the area and believe me; they love their booze, but only inside. being drunk outside is a jail-able offense. (Oman).
most of the locals who have $$, told me they go to France, etc for “Fun”. i was very curious about living under such struck rules. my older friends were more then happy to explain how its done.
it was explained too, that see was with “imported” women.
same desires, etc, just a different Facade.
Report Post »556GreenTip
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:30pmWho knows… maybe having the sleaziness of virtually ALL politicians and potentates exposed as seems to be happening here, will actually do some good… if it awakens enough people everywhere to the excesses and abuses of our alleged leaders, and causes us to start paying attention ad demanding accountability and morality again. If nothing else, it certainly shows that we “decadent Americans” don’t have any exclusive claim on such behavior, no matter what the world left says.
Report Post »AsBrokeAsAmerica
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:26pmI bet these guys are celebrating OIL just shot up $10 or so just today they can watch all the lame TV they want while a good majority of Americans are loosing their jobs, unemployment, houses and so on. My local Gas station price went from 2.99 when I drove by the 1st time then I went to buy gas after I was done with the bank and gas was $3.06. In less than 20 minutes and it will continue to go up aint it great..
Report Post »FedUpAlready
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 1:25pmT he real reason the price of oil is going up, is our POTUS renewed the moritorium against drilling in the gulf, while giving millions to Mexico and Brazil to drill in the same region and in even deeper water. Our President is a hypocrite with a capital H. While he supports global governance under the guise of wealth redistribution to help the less fortunate. But those less fortunate aren’t the American people they are the people, in the rest of the world.
Report Post »New-American-Saviors
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:19pmThe KNOW how to Party ! Was at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in DC in the early 70′s. can’t tell you why, but They DO Party and have the money to continue their fetishes.
Report Post »Karama
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:13pmThis is the way it always is with a “ruling class” they make up a bunch of stupid rules and want everyone else to abide by them but they themselves don’t obey them one bit. Just like here. How many tax cheats do we have in congress? How many have broken our laws and should be in jail? Why should these uppity snobs be exempt? I don’t care if they have money. If you rule by law that means it applies to everyone regardless of class.
Report Post »ApplePiePatriot
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:06pmI don’t think the blaze should be publishing the details of these illegally obtained classified cables.
Report Post »Ernie
Posted on December 11, 2010 at 3:48pmI too love the irony.
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:51pmThe hypocrisy of the Saudis is already known. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
They are infiltrating our government, through CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and their tentacles, and our educational institutions in America to further their duplicitous agenda of taking over America. We are hearing absolutely nothing about this creeping Jihad and Sharia in America. It is being covered up by the politically correct.
You must watch these videos:
Part 1 of 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZHnfFLZ9XU&feature=player_embedded
Part 2 of 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbnaWpSS8Dk&feature=player_embedded
Part 3 of 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1d0Lx8MPtI&feature=player_embedded
Part 4 of 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZdhKcFk5vg&feature=player_embedded
~Disclaimer:
Some Muslim apostates say that some of these so-called moderate Muslims and apostates are fakes. You must make that decision for yourself. My opinion is that if they do not condemn Hamas and Hizbollah, and any terrorist organization or act, they are fakes. Beware of taquia. It is the way they win you over by deceit and deception in order to take over and dominate. Their end game is to subjugate and have you pay the jizya (Muslim tax) or to kill you. Don’t ever forget that.~
America, we are under seige by these Islamists whose militant and political ideology of Islamism is not compatible with our Western Civilization, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights where we believe in individual freedom and where we are endowed by our creator with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Theirs is a totalitarian ideology and they know it’s not compatible with our Republic so they are planning to take it over, through infiltration and domination.
The war is here on our soil, America. We are at war, and they are waging it here in America by their stealth jihad and Sharia, and we are not paying attention. Will we wake up before it is too late?
Join us at our ADL facebook page where we are attempting to inform you about what’s going on all around the world. Numerous Defense Leagues have popped up in every country of the world, starting with the EDL in England, where Western Civilization is being taken over by Islamism. Our dhimmi leaders are not defending us, and we remain sitting ducks in our own countries where the dhimmis are refusing to confront this threat of Totalitarian Islamism. Nine years after 9/11 the corrupt UN has not come up with the definition of “terrorism.”
We are no longer going to remain silent and we’re going to stop their mass murder in the 21st Century. 270 million non-Muslims have been killed. Isn’t that enough? Join ADL (American Defense League) now, and make a difference. For America. For freedom. For your children and grandchildren.
http://www.facebook.com/AmericanDefenceLeague
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:30pmCalling Michael Steele, your benefactors would like to go to a transvestite strip club with you at tax payers expense.
Report Post »Axiom
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:23pmSounds like they need a support group lets send them all to rehab on hard earned tax dollars obama may as well add it into obamacare.
Report Post »whitaker
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:58pm“Saudi youth get to enjoy relative social freedom and indulge fleshly pursuits,” the cable said, “but only behind closed doors — and only the rich.” Just what Obama wants one set of laws for the poor masses and one for the ruling elete. last i checked tax evasion is jail time for the masses.
Report Post »Some info on Saudi:
The Saudi government is the seventh most authoritarian regime from among the 167 countries ratedby the The Economist’s Democracy Index. It declared the Qur’an as the constitution of the country, governed on the basis of Islamic(Wahhabis) law. Slavery wasent abolished until 1962. The Saudi government spreads Islam by funding construction of mosques and Qur’an schools around the world. The freedom of women is seriously restricted in Saudi Arabia. Women are not allowed to travel without the permission of their closest male relative.
Max jones
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:24pmThe elites act pretty much the same the world over. From Marie Antoinette to the Obamas. In the end, these are the real enemies of the rest of mankind. Self absorbed and confident they are above the laws of the land. Hedonism has been with us for millenia, but has been perfected in the modern world.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:22pmWikiLeaks’ classified documents dump also revealed that Saudi youth love American television — particularly Fox News Channel.
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Hey comedy central joke-writers for Jon Stewart, trolling this website for material,
Report Post »here is your cue……
Thatsitivehadenough
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 4:46amI love it. Can’t wait to see what they do with this tasty morsel.
Report Post »charliego
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:21pmMAYBE Mohammed gave them special dispensations? The arrogant elite–‘don’t do as I do- do as I say’ I think this must be a universal mantra amongst the priviledged class.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:25pmSo the custodians of islam ( i e mecca) themselves are not islamic at all ?
Report Post »I’m shocked, shocked I tell ya
RobertCA
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:05pmThey “mecca” me drink :)
Report Post »Pnxgld
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 12:08amWell most people with half a clue are not surprised! I personally am not surprised because I know about it due too many late nights of parting in many different places. It is not just the rich though as long as out of the Middle East.
Report Post »The worst I personally have witnessed was a cleric of a prominent Mosque here in the USA. He came into a club I was in with some friends, shortly becoming the life of the party. Buying two rounds for everyone in the club, taking shots, dancing on the bar, on the dance floor with attractive women, making out with a couple of women. All this started very early at about 8:15pm. He was ejected from the club for what on the street would be attempted rape at just after 10:00pm. The last I personally saw him that night he was flashing cars that were merging onto a main bridge.
The story does not end there. My mother & sister were returning home from a movie about 20 minutes later, merging onto the same afore mentioned bridge. The cleric at this point had the very nice dress shirt tied around his head as I believe is known a hijab (he had not worn one to the bar), & attempted to run across the multiple lanes of traffic. He apparently wasn’t good at playing drunken frogger, the car in front of my mother & sister nailed him squarely flipping him over the car. Mom who is an R.N. stopped provided care & accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital where we worked.
Two days later I had this same gentleman as one of my patients, though it took me a little time to realize exactly who he was. As I walked through the patients room door, I see someone wearing blood stained, cut by E.R. staff, expensive stacks wrapped around his head (as a hijab) over bandages for his head lacerations, a cast on his right arm & hand for 3 fractures, a cast extended from his pelvis down both legs for his 5 lower fractures.
This is not a joke or a lie. He was very rambunctious & outspoken saying that we were persecuting him & had drugged & struck him with a car, because we were all anti-Muslim. His “proof” was the he was a devout muslim, with 3 doctorates, the leader of his mosque, etc!!!!!! Our attempts to explain the facts, evidence, police reports, those of us who happened to witness different parts of the night meet with let’s just say less than a warm welcome from him, his family, & the very same friends that had gone to the bar with him. At the time of admission he blood test revealed 0 drugs, but a .29 BAC!
Same as the Libs, “it wasn’t me attitude”!
cheezwhiz
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:20pmMove over, Hollywood. Hello, Riyadh?
————
Really ? Then why does a saudi prince ( based in LA) want asylum in USA because he is gay ?
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:19pmnope. not surprised. watched the HBO series on saddam hussein.
Report Post »sconge
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:13pmanyone surprised? i’m not.
Report Post »danieljersey
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:20pmAgreed. The law does not apply to rich kids regardless of the country you are in.
Report Post »13thGenerationAmerican
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:30pmSounds to me like the Saudi’s have been hanging out with Michael Steel too much.
Report Post »P C BE DAMNED
Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:07pmIslam…so Mecca is controlled by Satan himself. Why don’t the Islamic faithful make holy war on the traitors to their religion. Traitors are the worst enemy. Maybe they should bomb their leaders who are getting their virgins here and now. Maybe they would have a few more virgins to go around here if their princes were not using them all up. You guys are being played. Clean your own house or be laughed at. We here in America are and have been played for a long time and we are getting ready to clean our own house. Watch, it will be glorious even by your vicious standards.
Report Post »bostonchris
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 7:51amno seven wives in the sky for these guys..hey wonder if they watch pay per view
Report Post »bostonchris
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 7:52amwhat kind of message are possible jihadist getting..wikileaks finally got something right..maybe these suicide idiots will wake up now
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 8:07amDo as I say, not as I do. Do they behead the women after the party is over and get a new batch for the next party?
Report Post »annieoakley
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 10:53amI want to know if any women are attending these parties?
Report Post »urrybr
Posted on December 9, 2010 at 11:33amI think our leaders are concerned because this example demonstrates what they’re doing. Just imagine . .. . Nanc‘ and Harr’ dancin’ with lampshades on their head. EEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!
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