![]() The kingdom has introduced significant social and cultural reforms but has imposed new levels of repression and authoritarianism. Saudi Arabia is a weak, fearful and unreliable ally. ![]() But for Trump and Pompeo, it pales before the great expectations they still maintain for the kingdom to confront and contain their common enemy, Iran, as well as support the White House's plan for Middle East peace, defeat jihadists in the region and keep the oil spigot open. The dark stain of the crown prince's apparent involvement in Khashoggi's death will not fade easily. investigation a report to Congress and sanctions if warranted. And to make the point, the administration should have supported at least one congressional resolution taking the Saudis to task, in addition to triggering the Magnitsky Act, which would have required a U.S. It should have suspended high-level contacts and arms sales with the kingdom for a period of time. ![]() In the wake of the Khashoggi killing, the administration should have made it unmistakably clear, both publicly and privately, that it expected a comprehensive and credible accounting and investigation. newspaper columnist who resided in Virginia or for the kingdom's aggressive policies, from Yemen to Qatar. Trump has failed to impose any serious costs or constraints on Saudi Arabia for the killing of a U.S. "It's an honor to be with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, a friend of mine, a man who has really done things in the last five years in terms of opening up Saudi Arabia," Trump said.Īnd you can bet that when Saudi Arabia hosts the G-20, scheduled to be held in its capital of Riyadh in November 2020, the Trump administration will be smiling as its rehab project takes another step in its desired direction. Then this past June, at the G-20 in Osaka, Japan, Trump sang his praises while dodging questions about the killing. Barely two months after the 2018 slaying, Trump was exchanging pleasantries with the crown prince at the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires and holding out prospects of spending more time with him. The Trump administration has not only given the crown prince a pass on the Khashoggi killing, but it has also worked assiduously to remove his pariah status and rehabilitate his global image. A year later, there are still no reports of convictions or serious punishment. ![]() The Saudis opened a trial in January of 11 men implicated in the killing, but the proceedings have been slow and secretive, leading the United Nations' top human rights expert to declare that "the trial underway in Saudi Arabia will not deliver credible accountability." Despite accusations that the crown prince's key adviser Saud al-Qahtani was involved in the killing, he's still advising MBS, has not stood trial and will likely escape punishment. military assistance to Saudi Arabia's inhumane military campaign in Yemen. What's more, the administration virtually ignored a congressional resolution imposing sanctions on the Saudis for human rights abuses and vetoed another bipartisan resolution that would have ended U.S. ![]()
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