Dictatorial Oman visited by Dutch queen, NATO warship

Today, Sultan Qaboos, the absolute monarch of Oman, one of various dictatorships on the Arabian peninsula, receives Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and other members of the Dutch royal family during a state visit.

That state visit had already been planned last year. However, that was just after a bloody regime crackdown on striking workers and other pro-democracy Omanis. The planned state visit then changed to a private visit of the Dutch queen to the sultan.

Today, like last year, the Dutch royals’ role is basically to act as saleswomen and salesmen for Dutch warships and other weaponry to Oman. Never mind that pro-democracy activists arrested last year are still languishing in Omani jails. Never mind that Omani journalists are still persecuted.

Talking about warships. A few days ago, on 6 January, a NATO flagship, TCG GIRESUN, visited Muscat harbour in Oman.

A NATO propaganda web page says about this visit:

The scheduled visit allowed Rear Admiral (LH) Sinan Azmi TOSUN to pay a visit to the Chief of the Royal Omani Navy, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi.

That NATO page also has a slogan: Vigilia Pretium Libertatis; Latin for “Vigilance is the price of freedom”. Apparently, NATO means with “freedom” freedom for absolute monarchs in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, etc. to oppress their subjects.