Thursday, October 18, 2018

Sen. Rand Paul: It's time to rethink America's relationship with Saudi Arabia -- It is not our friend

fox


It is no surprise to most Americans that we help arm, train, equip and otherwise prop up the government of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have long bought and paid for many politicians and for an image of moderate pro-Americanism as part of the face they show the world.
But the face presented simply is not reality. It is time to use our leverage to force change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We can start by cutting off our military aid and weapons sales to the kingdom.
The killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi is many things, including brutal and terrifying to those who report on the Saudis. What it also should be, in light of what it exposes about the Saudi regime, is a turning point in our relationship, where we as Americans stop and ask ourselves what we have been propping up and supporting.

11 comments :

  1. Exactly what carrot and what stick and what form of coercion will work to shape Saudi Arabia into the image of exactly what or whom?

    Murder is one thing. Pretty bad. But so are "gay" parades! Not too many of those in Saudia Arabia.

    Who is going to be in charge of this makeover? Who is going to judge the Saudis have shaped up?

    The whole idea that the U.S. can change countries has worked out REAL well historically, hasn't it??

    The only two that came around were Japan (totally defeated and with American occupation for years afterwards) and Germany (U.S. troops still stationed there.)

    You want a new Saudi Arabia? Then TAKE IT OVER. Anything short of that is a quagmire. Confer Iraq and Afghanistan.

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  2. See
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/jamal-khashoggi-what-the-arab-world-needs-most-is-free-expression/2018/10/17/adfc8c44-d21d-11e8-8c22-fa2ef74bd6d6_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9fa7116112e3
    “Qatar’s government continues to support international news coverage, in contrast to its neighbors’ efforts to uphold the control of information to support the “old Arab order.” Even in Tunisia and Kuwait, where the press is considered at least “partly free,” the media focuses on domestic issues but not issues faced by the greater Arab world. They are hesitant to provide a platform for journalists from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen. Even Lebanon, the Arab world’s crown jewel when it comes to press freedom, has fallen victim to the polarization and influence of pro-Iran Hezbollah….In 1967, the New York Times and The Post took joint ownership of the International Herald Tribune newspaper, which went on to become a platform for voices from around the world. My publication, The Post, has taken the initiative to translate many of my pieces and publish them in Arabic. For that, I am grateful.”
    Wow, Qatar, NYT, and Washington Post just love everything Jamal Khashoggi, a”h, writes. My hope and pray that evidence comes out that Turkey ordered the killing and ordered to make it look like a Saudi killing. How? Oh, today we have fake recording etc.
    BTW, No ruling yet on mo. no. 840 of 8/20/2018

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  3. States don't have friends, they have common interests. Right now the USA and the KSA have a common interest: containing Iran. Don't expect any dramatic changes.

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  4. Yes. But the murder was so blatant, it's location so lacking in diplomacy, and the victim so well connected that this flare up not going to dissipate like so sparks from fireworks.

    The Dems are desperate for "talking points". The Russian interference in the elections has been a huge disappointment as far as generating a viable talking point. The Supreme Court nomination battle is the radical's first good talking point to bash Republicans with in the next Presidential election.

    And the Saudi hit on a Washington Post journalist may be their second.

    It's amost too perfect. Both the President and his son-in-law bet big on the Saudis. And here's a way to dig at both in one shot by holding the top Saudi leadership accountable for the murder.

    The facts of the case also mitigate any near term closure. The victim was tortured. Right in fron of the ambassador.

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  5. Well, Trump just compared the Saudis to Kavanaugh about this, saying that they are innocent until proven guilty. What that says about Kavanaugh, I will leave for you to figure out.

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  6. The Saudis know that Americans have a 30 second attention span. They'll be outraged this week and then next week they'll be fascinated by some big game in the NFL. If that doesn't work, Trump will just say something outrageous about someone else to shift the focus.

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  7. It says that he's forced to be consistent. His defence of Kavanaugh has hobbled his ability to respond here.

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  8. The Washington Post isn't going to let this story go. And the other leftist media are going to stand with them. And Lindsay Graham seemed genuinely outraged. Not clear if he's ready to be appeased. He feels "used and abused."

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  9. It's about the process, not the subject of the investigation. No one knows how high up this goes in the Saudi government. It's easy to conclude the top leadership were involved. But it's not outside the realm of possibility that the murder was intended to embarrass the top people, and carried out by opponents of the current leadership.

    I initially thought that Dr. Ford was attacked as she stated. Now I lean towards thinking she made up her story, especially after a video I reviewed about the university where she teaches.

    We are dribbled bits and pieces with these kinds of investigations. It'll be months before this bakes out.

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  10. Joseph Orlow says “But it's not outside the realm of possibility that the murder was intended to embarrass the top people, and carried out by opponents of the current leadership.”
    See https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/19/middleeast/turkey-khashoggi-intel-intl/index.html
    “Multiple sources, supported by the findings of a police report, told CNN how Turkish officials responded after Khashoggi's fiancée Hatice Cengiz raised the alarm just before 5pm on October 2 -- three and a half hours after the journalist entered the consulate. At that time she was still waiting outside…Sources tell CNN that the Turkish intelligence agency MIT decided to review an audio-visual feed from inside the consulate -- a feed whose existence Turkey has not publicly acknowledged. The feed provided evidence of what had transpired in the consulate that afternoon: an assault and a struggle that ultimately led to Khashoggi's death….At about 9 p.m. intelligence officers dressed as airport workers examined the interior of the plane. They found nothing suspicious and the passengers were allowed to board. The flight left at about 11 p.m. local time.”
    Khashoggi’s fiancé is waiting outside the Saudi embassy. At 5 pm she calls the Turkey police: Help, where is my fiancée? The Turkey police immediately go to the airport to check out a Saudi plane which leaves that day at 11 pm. Turkey, the whole time, has a audio video feed of what’s going on in the Saudi embassy in Turkey. The rule if cover your ass. Turkey tried to save Khashoggi. Didn’t they go to checkout that plane within an hour of the fiancée’s call?

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  11. Rand Paul would say the same thing about Israel.

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