Trump administration ‘won’t stand for Khashoggi’

16:33 • 13.12.18
Event

US President Donald Trump and his top aides continue to doggedly defend Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite what members of Congress briefed by the CIA say is compelling evidence he was behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.


On Tuesday, Mr. Trump, who once promised “severe punishment” for those responsible for the killing, responded to a question about the crown prince’s complicity by saying: “He’s the leader of Saudi Arabia. They’ve been a very good ally.” The next day Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asked about consequences, said, “The Saudis have already paid the price.”


In fact, there has been no significant cost for Mohammed bin Salman and his regime. Members of the hit team that traveled to Istanbul to murder Mr. Khashoggi are said to have been arrested, but nothing is known about charges, trials or possible punishment; not even their names have been released. The Trump administration says it has imposed sanctions on 17 people, but travel bans and asset freezes are meaningless for most of them — and the administration left off its list the senior intelligence official who the Saudis admitted was implicated in the plot. The Senate was debating resolutions Wednesday to cut off funding for Saudi military operations in Yemen or to condemn Mohammed bin Salman, but neither is likely to be approved by the House, the Washington Post reports.


This impunity is not only a moral failing; it is also a missed opportunity. Even if they judge it necessary to maintain close relations with Mohammed bin Salman — a dubious proposition — Mr. Trump and his advisers ought to be demanding tangible concessions in exchange. These should not concern arms purchases or the price of oil — the latter of which the Saudis last week moved to raise in contravention of Mr. Trump’s demands. They should center on free expression and human rights, which is what the Khashoggi case is about.

 

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