Head Count

The KSA beheaded 5 more in December. This brings their total head count for 2015 to 145.

Things look exciting for 2016. The Kingdom has started the year by executing 47 Al Qaeda operatives including a prominent Shia cleric which sparked violent protests. This will pretty much trash any relations between Iran and the KSA and we can look forward to more unrest in the area between Shia and Sunni.

In other news of the Gulf States I'm sure you heard about the New Years Eve fire in Dubai. As you read stories about this fire keep two things in mind. One: Construction there is done by illiterate contract labor. Not only do you have shoddy construction, but also the pressure to play fast and loose with construction codes in order to meet schedule. I'd look for problems in the electrical systems. Two: It is against the law to say anything negative about the Sheikh. Since the Sheikh has a piece of everything that happens in the Emirate, saying anything bad about the building, it's construction or it's owners reflects badly upon the Sheikh and would be illegal. Therefore, don't believe anything published about the incident.