# Wikileaks Cable: The great Saudi tonic water drought of 2008-2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327 "2011-09-05T23:41:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/1 "2011-09-05T23:41:20Z")
> **[Cable: 09RIYADH233\_a](https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09RIYADH233_a.html)** This is an amusing read. Here’s an excerpt: > [@](#): > > ¶3. (SBU) When tonic water stocks began to run out around four months > ago local consumers, analysts, and restauranteurs told econoff they > expected the shortage to be temporary. But as the tonic drought > stretched from days, to weeks, to more than a month, fear grew that > the CPVPV and/or Saudi Customs was responsible. The Kingdom has a > notorious history of intrusive customs inspections and of capricious > seizures of goods deemed un-Islamic in the broadest sense. Although > those days seem to have passed, problems remain. For example one > embassy contact who imports children’s birthday paraphernalia (paper > plates and cups with princess/superhero imagery) said that she often > has major problems importing her products. > > ¶4. (SBU) (Note: The real reason this contact has such trouble is > that the most conservative Saudis oppose the celebration of > birthdays as un-Islamic; however, the reasons Customs officers cite > are typically more specific and bizarre. She said that during her > efforts to gain the release of her most recent shipment from > customs, she was told that Barbie (pictured on cups she hoped to > sell) was a Zionist figure, while pictures of Spiderman on paper > plates shooting webs really symbolized a crypto-Christian sign of > benediction. End note.) > **[Cable: 09RIYADH233\_a](https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09RIYADH233_a.html)** ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/2 "2011-09-06T15:28:09Z")
> [@](#): > > while pictures of Spiderman on paper > plates shooting webs really symbolized a crypto-Christian sign of > benediction. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spider, go in Peace. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/3 "2011-09-06T16:02:17Z")
That’s the funniest part of it. What also caught my attention was that the diplomatic community was so desperate for tonic water that they actually went looking for sources of quinine sulfate and, failing at that, searched for Cinchona trees. The HAD to have tonic water for their cocktails. Maybe I just don’t understand because I don’t drink, but really, how desperate do you have to be for a specific cocktail that you actually go looking for raw materials in the wild? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/4 "2011-09-06T17:10:09Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Maybe I just don’t understand because I don’t drink, but really, how desperate do you have to be for a specific cocktail that you actually go looking for raw materials in the wild? There’s a [map](http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/middle-east/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-malaria-map.aspx) for everything. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/5 "2011-09-06T17:19:23Z")
“With great powers come great respopeabilities.” OK, I even groaned myself while writing that. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/6 "2011-09-06T17:20:26Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > There’s a [map](http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/middle-east/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-malaria-map.aspx) for everything. Is quinine even used as an anti-malarial any more? I was under the impression that the protozoan had evolved resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/7 "2011-09-06T17:39:50Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Is quinine even used as an anti-malarial any more? I was under the impression that the protozoan had evolved resistance. Must be relatively recent. I still remember having to swallow those foul testing pills every goddamn day. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/8 "2011-09-06T17:47:19Z")
Maybe it is still used, I don’t know. But the cable seems to be strictly describing it’s use as a flavoring agent in tonic water and not as a drug, so that’s a side issue. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/9 "2011-09-06T18:08:34Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Is quinine even used as an anti-malarial any more? I was under the impression that the protozoan had evolved resistance. There was a SD column on it a while back, apparently the amount of quinine in commercial tonic water isn’t high enough to be medicinal in anycase. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/10 "2011-09-06T18:14:27Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > There was a SD column on it a while back, apparently the amount of quinine in commercial tonic water isn’t high enough to be medicinal in anycase. So, as I said, this is strictly about it’s use as a flavoring agent. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/11 "2011-09-06T19:44:48Z")
Was meant more as a joke- I dont think g and t ever did the trick. According to James burke malaria also led to refrigeration. Wonders for tippling. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/12 "2011-09-06T19:48:48Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Was meant more as a joke- I dont think g and t ever did the trick. According to James burke malaria also led to refrigeration. Wonders for tippling. I got that. I was just pointing out for those who are reading along that this thread isn’t about malaria treatments. Now, can we all (myself included) please end the unintended malaria hijack and get back to our regularly scheduled thread? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-cable-the-great-saudi-tonic-water-drought-of-2008-2009/595327/13 "2011-09-06T20:16:59Z")
Hey, don’t get all feverish about it. It’s not worth the sweat to try to get people to stop.