Calling for harsh sanctions for the Oct. 2 murder of 59-year-old Washington Post free lance op-ed writer Jamal Khashoggi, members of of the U.S. Senate called for 72-year-old President Donald Trump to punish 33-year-old Saudi Defense Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump insisted that no matter who’s responsible for Khashoggi’s death—includingj Bin Salaman—the U.S. would not halt arms sales or diplomatic relations with the Saudi government. Retiring Sen, Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), one of his biggest GOP critics, and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-n.J.) invoked the Magnitzky Act req;uiring Trump to order an investigation into an extrajudicial assassination. Trump finds himself caught in another Washington maelstrom, where common sense is eclipsed by the media hoard calling for Bin Salman’s head. Khashoggi used his space on the Post’s op-ed page to slam Bin Salaman and the Saudi monarchy.
U.S. and foreign press have hyped Khashoggi’s work as a “Washington Post columnist,” when it fact, he was a free lancer given space on the op-ed page to slam his former country. It’s inexplicable that he went to the Saudi consulate in Isranbul to resolve divorce -related issues knowing that there was a bounty on his head. While there’s nothing acceptable about extrajudicial assassinations, sacrificing U.S.-Saudij relations for Khashoggi makes zero sense. Trump’s tried to reason with the press and members of Congress to stop the mass hysteria surrounding the Khashoggi case. Since the murder took place in Istanbul and since Khashoggi was not a U.S. citizen, the jurisdiction for his murder falls with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Why the U.S. government has injected itself into the controversy isn’t clear, other than letting the media run wild. When the CIA reported that Bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s murder, Trump found himself in hot water.
Before Trump left for his Mar-a-Lago Golf Resort in Palm Beach Nov. 21, he told the press he didn’t know yet whether or not Bin Salaman ordered Khashoggi’s murder. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the press that his government would not tolerate accusations against Crown Prince Bin Salman. Jubeir made clear the Crown prince was cleared of any involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, now regarded by the Kingdom as a rogue operation, without official approval. Twenty one Saudis have been incarcerated, some facing the death penalty for their involvement. Yet the U.S and foreign press has called for harsh sanctions against King Salama’s son. Trump must face the music that Bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s death, regardless of what he plans to do in the way of sanctions. Acknowledging that Bin Salman was behind the extrajudicial assassination would at least defuse the media feeding frenzy and hysteria on Capitol Hill.
Once it’s established that Bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s murder, Trump must work with Saudi officials to replace the Crown Prince with someone more acceptable to the international community. Sending Mecca Gov. Khale al-Faisal to Isntanbul to deal with Khashoggic crisis Oct. 19, it’s time for King Salman to relieve Bin Salman of his official duties until the crisis dies down. Scheduled to attend the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires Nov. 30, Bin Salman can no longer represent the Kingdom. Whatever the fallout on the Kingdom from the Khashoggi crisis, it’s clear Bin Salman can no longer represent the Kingdom for the time teing in State affair. Al-Jubeir’s veiled threats to foreign governments regarding Bin Salman should be dismissed, especially because its’s Bin Salman, not the international community, responsible for the Saudi government’s hit on Khashoggi. There’s zero plausible deniability sayint Khashoggi;s murder was a rogue operation.
No rogue operation flies in 17 Sauid operatives to Turkey’s Ataturk Airport s with autopsy and forensic experience to manage Khashoggi’s murder, disposal and cover-up. Turkish President Recep Tayyipj Erdogan has done everything possible to expose the Saudi crime on Turkish soil. If anyone has a vested interest in Saudi’s extrajudicial assassination, it’s Turkey, allowing the Saudi government to conduct a murder in Instabul. U.S. officials have a right to be concerned about Saudi’s human rights abuses but there’s little the government can do other than insist Bin Salaman no longer represents the Saudi government as a head of state. There’s no reason the U.S. government should harm the economy by cancelling Saudi arms’ deals, totallying in the billions of dollars. Saudi’s U.S.-educated Foreign Minister al-J\ubeir knows that U.S. elcted officails take seriously extradjudicial asadsassinations. Threatening U.S. officials can only boomerang for Riyadh.
Trump should pivot on Khashoggi, no longer questioning who ordered the hit on the Saudi ex-pat. Whatever the CIA says on Bin Salman’s role in Khashoggi’s murder, it’s inconceivable that anyone other than Bin Salman could have carried out the operation. Placating Congress and the media, Trump should instruct 56-year-old Secretary of State MikePompeo to ask King Salman to replace Bin Salman for official Saudi business. It’s fruitless for King Salman to have his son represent the Kingdom after the Khashoggi murder. Trump has the authority under Article 2 to do what’s right for U.S. national security, including maintaining good diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. Cancelling arms deals would only harm U.S. defense contractors, handing the business to foreign competitors like Russia and China. Replacing Bin Salman with Prince Khaled al-Faisal satisfies the media and Capitol Hill calling for Bin Salman’s head.
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