February 28: Let’s put the discussion of “Guyana II”---or the gathering of the depraved and craven worshipers of the Golden Calf down in Orlando aside, and talk about another matter of greater importance to our nation’s political health just now, shall we? I’m talking about the freshly released CIA report that undeniably fingers Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS---the heir apparent to the throne of Saudi Arabia---for the brutal 2018 murder and dismemberment of WAPO journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
By Susan Bergeron
Our new President Joe Biden has made the unfortunate decision to follow the advice of his advisors and give the homicidal Prince a pass. At least Joe Biden didn’t follow it up with the disgusting Trumpian statement of 2018 “I saved his ass…” During a presser, after audio of the murder and dismemberment had already surfaced, in which bone saws were carried into the Saudi Consulate in Turkey by 15 members of an elite Saudi guard, Trump held up a large poster. The visual display featured various photos (something Trump always preferred to words) of all the expensive proprietary weapons the U.S. was engaged in selling to Saudi Arabia. Trump was making a desperate effort to convince the American public that it was in our best interest to court the favor of this nation, despite the horrendous actions of its heir apparent. Now we discover that former president Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner was involved in setting up an investment company that sought and, indeed, now has the financial backing of the Crown Prince. Kushner spent his final weeks of the Trump administration over in the Middle East feverishly lining up all his backers for the fund. It was always all about the Benjamins.
Even when the 116th Congress had declared that the damning 2018 CIA report be released, Trump ignored that directive for the remaining two years of his term. But when President Biden’s new Director of Intelligence Avril Haines was confirmed she announced she would release the report, and on February 26th she did, as promised. Journalists, defenders of the Fourth Estate and justice seekers everywhere had hoped that finally, after two long years, MBS would receive the punishment he so richly deserved. But sadly, it was not forthcoming. Our new President choked.
I’m not going to rip up my Biden tee shirts anytime soon, or cry myself to sleep on my old flat dollar store pillow, but I am going to speak truth to power. We supporters of the new President, and those who voted for Biden must not make the mistakes of the previous followers of our last president. We must not become sycophants, deniers, apologists or blindly allow bad decisions to be made by our new government without speaking out. All of us, from the janitor that mops the floor at the local Shop-Rite to the lawmaker in Congress must participate in this new government and protect it from veering off track. Every one of us has an important voice and if we’re going to keep our democracy intact we must use it. We’ve seen the terrible result of not speaking truth to power.
Our relationship with Saudi Arabia presents a complicated situation. But perhaps it’s time the United States re-evaluated that relationship. How much do we really need our alliance with Saudi Arabia anymore? We have become much less dependent on fossil fuels. We are ending the endless wars in the Middle East, and we should continue down that track. The new administration is committed to rejoining the global community and ending the isolationist policies of the Trump administration. That involves re-committing to calling out human rights violations. Saudi Arabia claims they are on a new path toward giving women their rights and ending human rights violations, but if you do a deeper dive into how it’s really going in that country, and if you talk to Saudi women you will find a lot of their “new” policies are merely lip service. And what about the plight of the LGBTQ community in this strict Muslim country? This is why Kashoggi was murdered. He worked for the Washington Post and also was Editor In Chief of the Arab News Channel. He uncovered hypocrisies depravities and corruption, such as human sex trafficking that were still going on in the Kingdom. The Prince didn’t like that. The Prince wanted Kashoggi’s voice silenced and he wanted to make him an example.
Nick Kristof wrote a scathing editorial in the New York Times on Friday and, I’m sorry Mr. President, but I had to agree with him. You blew it on this one. Presidents aren’t always going to get it right every time. As the saying goes, “Heavy is the head.” I wondered what President Biden said in his phone call to the King of Saudi Arabia on Friday, just before the report was released to the public. He telephoned King Salman bin Abdulaziz, not the Prince. While a curious world waited to find out the details of the call (he never did spill) I wondered if Biden was explaining: “I’m sorry, King Abdulaziz, but the evidence on your son is undeniable. We’re going to have to punish him for his terrible deeds. As one father to another I’m very sorry and wish I didn’t have to do this, but you have made him the next King of your country. What are we to do? We will not be able to have dealings with him if he is a murderer. We will lose your country as our longtime friend and ally unless you choose to punish him yourself.” But no, that conversation never happened. Our president apparently reassured the King he needn’t worry, his son was still safe.
President Biden has a tremendous number of challenges facing him as he comes into office. The disgraceful and infamously corrupt former administration made it as hard as possible for him to hit the ground running during a massive surge of a world pandemic, climate emergencies, violent domestic threats and terrible division in our country. He’s doing the best he can. In many ways he’s doing a terrific job, particularly in regards to straightening out the vaccine distribution system left unattended by Trump. But he blew it on this one and I hope he reconsiders how to deal with Prince Mohammed Bone Saw. President Biden’s decision on this matter sends a terrible message. Especially so soon after our own Senate has just absolved our former president of inciting insurrection at our national capitol, where murder and violence occurred.
No comments:
Post a Comment