Trump administration resists deadline on inquiry into Saudi role in Khashoggi killing (1 Viewer)

[Somerville]

Despite the fact that Republicans also signed onto the request for information AND that there is a law mandating certain actions by the President when requested by the Senate, the White House is saying uh uh.

Trump administration resists deadline on inquiry into Saudi role in Khashoggi killing

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration was set to ignore a Friday deadline for giving the Senate a full accounting of the role of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the brutal slaying of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi four months ago.

The administration, which has consistently sought to shield Saudi rulers from blame, had until midnight Friday to answer senators’ questions about whether Prince Mohammed ordered the killing, as U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded, and what additional sanctions should be placed on the government in Riyadh.

The deadline was set by Democratic and Republican senators, who wrote the president on Oct. 10 — slightly more than a week after Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance — calling for an investigation and invoking the Global Magnitsky Act that imposes sanctions on egregious abusers of international human rights. Under the rules, the president had 120 days to respond.

Senators said Mr. Trump was obliged by law to answer. Administration officials contended, however, that the law was not binding and that the president was within his rights to ignore the senators’ demands.

Funny, it looks like the murder of a journalist and the questions about who ordered the hit have actually created a bipartisan quest for answers.

Combined with the Saudi role in Yemen, where it leads a coalition that has killed thousands of civilians, the Khashoggi case has generated rare bipartisan criticism of Mr. Trump for his fealty to the kingdom.

 

[JasperL]

Despite the fact that Republicans also signed onto the request for information AND that there is a law mandating certain actions by the President when requested by the Senate, the White House is saying uh uh.

Funny, it looks like the murder of a journalist and the questions about who ordered the hit have actually created a bipartisan quest for answers.

That whole episode still amazes me. First MBS decides to just give the entire world, and especially the U.S., a big FU by murdering a journalist in their own damn embassy. Don't they have enough money to hire a hit man to at least pretend to make it look like a random killing?

Then the official response from the U.S. was, "Hey, if the checks keep coming, who cares?" And the image of Pompeo going over there and just kissing their asses like they're the world power was just stunning, then watching him and Trump repeat their BS and obvious lies was the cherry on top.

I'm not dumb enough to think we'd risk our relationship with the Saudis over a little murder here and there, but it's pretty embarrassing to see the Saudis rub our faces in it and publicly treat us like paid off whores with no consequences. Can't we at least pretend to have some dignity as a country? is that too much to ask?

 

[RetiredUSN]

Despite the fact that Republicans also signed onto the request for information AND that there is a law mandating certain actions by the President when requested by the Senate, the White House is saying uh uh.



Funny, it looks like the murder of a journalist and the questions about who ordered the hit have actually created a bipartisan quest for answers.

The same thing would be happening with a Democrat president.

We are not going to dump the SA relationship over a single murder. At best, there would be a real light distant sounding whisper of strong condemnation, and then it's right back to business.