[DAWN] Canada is quietly working back channels to prod allies including Germany and Sweden to help resolve its row with Soddy Arabia...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
, a government source confirmed on Thursday.
The bigwig, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland spoke with her counterparts in the two European nations.
Germany and Sweden previously were targets of Saudi backlashes for calling out the kingdom for human rights
...which are often intentionally defined so widely as to be meaningless...
abuses.
Freeland sought to learn how they resolved those disputes, and asked for their support, the official said.
Ottawa also planned to reach out to regional heavyweight the United Arab Emirates and Britannia, which has strong historical ties to Saudi Arabia.
Tensions have been high between Canada and Saudi Arabia since Monday when Riyadh expelled Canada's ambassador, recalled its own envoy and froze all new trade and investments.
The kingdom was angry at Ottawa for openly denouncing a crackdown on rights activists in Saudi Arabia.