what the West calls "the moderate Arab governments"

"The Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf have long used petrodollars to placate calls for political change, and are once again relying on the threat of prison to silence dissent. In Qatar, a poet was sentenced in February to 15 years for a subversive poem. Saudi Arabia has suppressed protests by its Shiite minority and prosecuted rights activists. The case in the Emirates — a federation of seven dynasties that has rocketed to prosperity thanks to vast oil wealth and business-friendly policies — is perhaps the most sweeping, where the government is trying to quash calls for change among Islamists and others. All three countries are American allies, important as oil suppliers and as regional counterweights to Iran. Even while calling for reforms elsewhere, the United States has largely remained silent on the gulf monarchies’ profoundly undemocratic governments, and few observers believe their leaders will voluntarily share control."