Ben Carson Says United States ‘Promoted’ Saudi Execution of Shiite Cleric

Despite a massive campaign shakeup, presidential candidate and former knife-fighter Ben Carson continues to run for president, and continues to say really dumb, weird shit. On Sunday’s This Week, Martha Raddatz asked Carson to weigh in on Saudi Arabia’s execution of dissident Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, and after Carson went for a long walk around unrelated talking points, placed the blame for the killing on the United States:

CARSON: Well, you know, Saudi — the Saudis have been one of our strongest allies in the Middle East, and I think it’s unfortunate that we put them in the position that we have by showing the support to Iran that we have with this foolish deal. And, you know, there’s no reason for the Saudis to believe that we’re really on their side when we do things like that. And it won’t be surprising if they’re not looking to have a nuclear program soon, and everybody else in the Middle East also.

RADDATZ: But let’s get back to the issue of the mass execution —

CARSON: We have to look at the consequences of what we’re doing.

RADDATZ: Look at this execution of this Shiite cleric. This Shiite — this Shiite —

CARSON: I don’t (INAUDIBLE).

RADDATZ: — had criticized the monarchy in Bahrain for suppressing protest during the Arab Spring, and he was executed.

CARSON: No, I don’t, I don’t condone by any stretch of the imagination. Of course we don’t condone that kind of thing. But I’m just saying we need to stop doing silly things that promote these kinds of activities; that’s what I’m saying.

It’s unclear which U.S. policy Ben Carson thinks is responsible for the Saudis’ execution of a dissident cleric, but then again, why should anything Carson says be clear, at least to anyone but him?

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.