Russia, Saudi Arabia Talking In Light Of New Mideast Developments -- October 12, 2015

I was re-reading this post and saw again this bullet:

• Saudi has been told explicitly by President Obama that the US has no responsibility to guarantee Saudi Arabia' security

I assume everyone saw the stories of talks between Russia and Saudi Arabia over the weekend. I did not link them at the time, thinking them relatively unimportant. I would assume diplomats are always talking. But in light of the "bullet/data point" above, it makes me wonder if I was too hasty not linking those stories.

Here's one story:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a diplomatic offensive trying to reassure Saudi Arabia that his intervention in Syria is aimed at defeating terrorism.

During a meeting in Sochi on the sidelines of a Formula 1 Grand Prix race the Russian leader and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tried to find common ground with the enemies of Syria’s President Assad.

“In the first place (this operation) is aimed at preventing the formation of a terrorist caliphate. In this connection President (Putin) has clearly confirmed that our (Russian) military in Syria are fighting explicitly the so called Islamic State…” said Lavrov after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia is at odds with Russia in wanting Syria’s President Assad to be removed from power while Moscow says his government should be the centre piece of international efforts to fight extremism.

Riyadh is also concerned that Russian air strikes are not just targeting ISIL fighters but have also been causing casualties among rebels fighting the Assad regime.

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Not All Lives Matter

From Liberal Logic 101: 

Disability rights advocates are fighting back after Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., authorized assisted suicide in California.

Opponents, however, object to the willful termination of human life that the bill permits and are concerned that it would allow elderly, ill, or disabled patients to be coerced to choose death.

“Human life need not be extended by every medical means possible, but a person should never be intentionally killed,” Anderson wrote. “Doctors may help their patients to die a dignified death from natural causes, but they should not kill their patients or help them to kill themselves. This is the reality that such euphemisms as ‘death with dignity’ and ‘aid in dying’ seek to conceal.”

No mention of Planned Parenthood, third-trimester abortions, or selling "baby parts" was mentioned in the article.