Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach

[washunut]

Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach (Published 2021)

The decision will disappoint the human rights community and members of his own party who complained during the Trump administration that the U.S. was failing to hold Mohammed bin Salman accountable.

www.nytimes.com

This is gross. Expected but gross. Our cynical relationship with the Saudis is a stain on us. It taints all of our efforts in the ME, it renders our commitment to human rights as facile, and allows a brutal ugly regime the ability to do this with abandon.

Dems should be unified in condemnation. GOP will, and they should, and we’ll yell at them that they’re hypocrites and we’ll be right but *so will they.*

A sad reality is that nations such as Saudi and China which are economic powers get held to different standards when it comes to human rights than other nations.

Currently the world is dependent on Saudi oil to economies moving. Hopefully down the road when oil is less important this calculus will change, but that time is not down.

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

Biden Won’t Penalize Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi’s Killing, Fearing Relations Breach (Published 2021)

The decision will disappoint the human rights community and members of his own party who complained during the Trump administration that the U.S. was failing to hold Mohammed bin Salman accountable.

www.nytimes.com

This is gross. Expected but gross. Our cynical relationship with the Saudis is a stain on us. It taints all of our efforts in the ME, it renders our commitment to human rights as facile, and allows a brutal ugly regime the ability to do this with abandon.

Dems should be unified in condemnation. GOP will, and they should, and we’ll yell at them that they’re hypocrites and we’ll be right but *so will they.*

This is what is known as "realpolitik".

However, the stunning reversal of the stand taken by Mr. Trump is breath-taking. (Well - isn't it?)

 

[Hatuey]

The average Saudi is cool to work with. They are lovely people and do not deserve their 13th century leadership.

No American presidency should be kowtowing to the Saudi regime, and it is disappointing that Biden did not take a firmer stance.

That said, Biden needs to deal with the mess Trump left in the US first, and his 2nd term, if there is one, should focus on foreign policy.

"Coffee sip emoji"

 

[Tahuyaman]

I find this fairly humorous.

 

[Napoleon]

As far as I can tell by looking it up, he was a lifelong reporter who became a liability because criticized the Saudi human rights record and its invasion of Yemen, not for any fear of an intelligence breach. Where did you get your info that he worked for Saudi intelligence?

He worked in Saudi Intelligence during the Soviet-Afghan war and precisely how long after that he was an intelligence officer is only known to Saudi Arabia. He was the personal advisor of Prince Turki al Faisal (the Chief of Saudi Intelligence and later Ambassador to the US) until 2007.

It was revealed in 2018 that Khashoggi had been working for Wikistrat though exactly what wares he was selling to governments through that firm is unknown. He also started funding dissident campaigns. As for his “journalism,” the Washington Post admitted that Khashoggi was publishing articles fed to him by the government of Qatar. So that’s plenty of reason for Saudi Arabia to eliminate him.

 

[Cameron]

Makes our response Navalny seem a little less principled.

 

[CaughtInThe]

i was really pissed when i first read the headline.

then i read the details and the statement from our Intel community.

 

[Serenity]

The decision will disappoint the human rights community...

Yep.

Repulsive.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

If they used radio transmitted bugs, they would be detected by bug sweepers. If they were just recording, they needed ongoing on site access to the bugs. If it was hardwired, you would think that's the kind of thing a consulate might look for moving in, extra wires running out of their new building. Any of the choices show pretty poor counter-intelligence.

Not if they are passive bugs. Much harder to detect because the RF is focused directly at the target and the source that washes the target can be pretty far away, and only the RECEIVER needs to be close. Furthermore, exciting a passive bug does not consist of anything beyond a carrier signal. The bug simply responds to the carrier. The receiver can be offsite if it's close enough, so they'd have to sweep areas where they may not even be allowed to do so.

The Thing (listening device) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

A sad reality is that nations such as Saudi and China which are economic powers get held to different standards when it comes to human rights than other nations.

Currently the world is dependent on Saudi oil to economies moving. Hopefully down the road when oil is less important this calculus will change, but that time is not down.

The end of a golden age for oil producers

The search for other types of revenue will accelerate | The World Ahead

www.economist.com

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

The average Saudi is cool to work with. They are lovely people and do not deserve their 13th century leadership.

No American presidency should be kowtowing to the Saudi regime, and it is disappointing that Biden did not take a firmer stance.

That said, Biden needs to deal with the mess Trump left in the US first, and his 2nd term, if there is one, should focus on foreign policy.

"Coffee sip emoji"

Everyone should remember that the report that was just declassified was issued in 2018.

It is in 2018 that the action that the "(American) conservatives" are demanding that Mr. Biden take should have been taken.

Was it?

Why didn't Mr. Biden (who, after all, IS the President of the United States of America) take the action that the "(American) conservatives" are now demanding he take take that action in 2018?

 

[Antiwar]

The honeymoon's over.

 

[PeteEU]

I don't think the report has been discussed with King Salman yet has it?

King Salman has advanced alzheimers....

 

[Gondwanaland]

King Salman has advanced alzheimers....

Well then Biden will be in good company. They'll forget they were even talking to each other within minutes, in the middle of a conversation.

 

[Metric Mouse]

Good night is Biden a spineless kiss ass. Could he slurp up to KSA any harder?

 

[MaryP]

I don’t think so. Last I read about that, Joe had spoken to him prior to the report being released. Which would make sense if Biden’s stance is “Meh. Let’s move on anyway.” What is there to even speak about?

Completely disgusted with our Saudi relationship. They’re monsters.

The Saudi government is revolting; haven't they ever heard of a handgun over there?

 

[Schism]

Joe Biden's principles have a price; or more likely we're seeing his actual principles in practice.

This is who he is as a man. This is his character.

 

[jpn]

Good night is Biden a spineless kiss ass. Could he slurp up to KSA any harder?

I'm surprised some have this reaction. Any president before him probably would have kept the intelligence report under wraps. Trump sat on it for over two years and all but praised KSA for his toughness. Releasing the report was something I'm sure SA was upset about.

Per the Washington Post:

As part of his promise to “recalibrate” relations with Saudi Arabia, Biden has cited several issues, including Saudi human rights violations and political repression, the prosecution of the Saudi-led war in Yemen and the Khashoggi killing. He has already stopped the U.S. sale of offensive weapons used in the war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels and paused for review all other weapons purchases by the kingdom, the world’s largest customer for U.S. defense goods.​

In fact, the question is why Biden has suddenly decided to get tougher with SA than we have been. And this may have something to do with it:


U.S. Imports No Saudi Crude for First Time in 35 Years

We don't need SA's oil any more. Time to "recalibrate" our relations with SA...

 

[Metric Mouse]

I'm surprised some have this reaction. Any president before him probably would have kept the intelligence report under wraps. Trump sat on it for over two years and all but praised KSA for his toughness. Releasing the report was something I'm sure SA was upset about.

Per the Washington Post:

As part of his promise to “recalibrate” relations with Saudi Arabia, Biden has cited several issues, including Saudi human rights violations and political repression, the prosecution of the Saudi-led war in Yemen and the Khashoggi killing. He has already stopped the U.S. sale of offensive weapons used in the war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels and paused for review all other weapons purchases by the kingdom, the world’s largest customer for U.S. defense goods.​

In fact, the question is why Biden has suddenly decided to get tougher with SA than we have been. And this may have something to do with it:

View attachment 67320349
U.S. Imports No Saudi Crude for First Time in 35 Years

We don't need SA's oil any more. Time to "recalibrate" our relations with SA...

Yes, no punishment for the one guy that was responsible for the murder. What a tough stance. Complete continuation of the policies of the prior administration. He promised on the campaign trail to hold the prince personally responsible, he has a report proving the prince is personally responsible and now he's going to sit on his thumb just like Trump did. Ohwowgoodshowgreatjob.

We haven't needed KSAs oil imports for years. We've been net exporters of oil, both raw and refined, for years. The argument for keeping KSA as an ally was to keep enough stability in the Middle East that other nations, especially allies, could access that oil.

 

[uptower]

Khashoggi was an interesting character and I’m not entirely convinced that Saudi Arabia wasn’t within its rights to eliminate him. What do we do with former intelligence assets who become a liability?

Umm, just no.

 

[GDViking]

Khashoggi was an interesting character and I’m not entirely convinced that Saudi Arabia wasn’t within its rights to eliminate him. What do we do with former intelligence assets who become a liability?

Are you speaking of trump???

If so I am of agreement, he is a danger to our nation and should, as you say be eliminated...

 

[snakestretcher]

Khashoggi was an interesting character and I’m not entirely convinced that Saudi Arabia wasn’t within its rights to eliminate him. What do we do with former intelligence assets who become a liability?

Are you ****ing serious? Nobody is within their 'rights' to murder anyone.

 

[snakestretcher]

Good night is Biden a spineless kiss ass. Could he slurp up to KSA any harder?

Have any US presidents ever done anything else but suck up to the Sauds with their whippings and public beheadings? These are mediaeval throwbacks; savages with skyscrapers and Lamborghinis.

 

[RetiredUSN]

Have any US presidents done anything else but suck up to Saudi?

Didn't the UK sell arms to the Saudi's?

 

[snakestretcher]

Didn't the UK sell arms to the Saudi's?

Sadly, yes; and in the same way your government arms unappetising regimes.

UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful, court rules

Campaigners win a legal challenge over the government's decision to export arms to Saudi Arabia.

www.bbc.co.uk