Thursday, June 23, 2005

Democracy, sure. Driving? Whoa, now!

BRUSSELS, June 21 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday emphasized the importance of drawing attention to women's rights in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East but said the United States did "have some boundaries about what it is we are trying to achieve."

Rice said the administration's push for democracy in the region needed to respect cultural traditions. She said, for instance, that she had no interest in promoting the high-profile cause of giving women in Saudi Arabia the right to drive. They are currently prohibited by law from doing so. "It's just a line that I have not wanted to cross," Rice told reporters traveling with her as she flew from Riyadh, the Saudi capital.


This is one of those days where I start casually browsing Canadian emigration laws. (Thanks to alert reader Laura for the heads up.)