So in a long article about Saudi Arabia in the Times, who comes to the defense of Saudi despotism? The same guy who wants democracy in Syria

"“Americans like to have someone to blame — a person, a political party or country,” said Robert S. Ford, a former United States ambassador to Syria and Algeria. “But it’s a lot more complicated than that. I’d be careful about blaming the Saudis.”  Of course, Ford is a fellow at the Saudi-Hariri-funded Atlantic Council (of course, Saudi funding in Washington comes with no-strings-attached).