Oman

[somerfrost]

In this day and age when it seems that most of the Arab world is against us and many question why we bother, I think Oman deserves a shout out. While one of the few countries that maintain a close relationship with Iran, they also have proven to be an ally of the US. They have just gained the release of the two American hikers held as spies in Iranian prison, this after previously gaining release of the female hiker involved. They paid the "bail" (ransom) for all, $500,000 for the girl, 1 million for the two guys. Yes, I know the Iranian government probably had motives for this release and we don't know the behind the scenes activity between us and the Oman government but still...Oman is one of the more progressive states in the Arab world, providing college educations for many more women than men and banning the face covering and other forms of restricted dress often forced upon women in the region. Although governed by a Sultan, they have universal suffrage and many freely elected officials.