Saudi Arabia, Summer Tourist Mecca

There's just so much to love about this story:

Saudi religious squad beefs up anti-vice patrols

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's powerful religious police plan a summer anti-vice drive to enforce prayer-keeping and modesty in the conservative Gulf Arab state, its head said in remarks published Wednesday.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice applies an austere interpretation of Islam in the kingdom, where clerics control the justice system.

With over 5,000 men, the force has wide powers to carry out raids in search of alcohol, ensure shops and restaurants are shut at prayer time, enforce the segregation of unrelated men and women in public and ban women from driving -- an activity clerics say is un-Islamic.

Believe it or not, the new religious police in Saudi Arabia are more laid back than they used to be. The article says so. However, it also says

The religious police have come under harsh criticism from some media and pro-reform advocates after incidents in which people have died in their custody.

But Interior Minister Prince Nayef, a key conservative member of the ruling family who was promoted earlier this year to become second deputy prime minister, backed the religious police last month, saying they were on par with security forces.

I can believe that they are "on par" with Saudi security forces. Isn't that where we used to send some of the terrorists who wouldn't talk to loosen their tongues? As in, all the way loose?

The final paragraph is a hoot:

Saudi authorities are trying to convince some of the 5 million Saudis who travel abroad each year to spend their summer holidays at home to help the state's efforts to diversify the oil-based economy and create jobs for Saudi youths.

With the anti-vice, pro-virtue patrols on duty, what's keeping these 5 million good ol' boys from staying home?