Posted on 11/29/2018 1:30:08 PM PST by Kaslin
The brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi has opened a window into the world of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reminded us that there are many places in the world where disagreeing with your government is a death sentence.
I break with the administration on their response to this killing for many reasons. If Saudi Arabia is not held accountable for the barbaric murder of Khashoggi, what will it mean for the fate of other dissidents held in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere who are being held without trial? What message does it send to kingdoms and dictatorships around the region and the world that America considers its defense sales paramount to its stand for human rights?
What will it mean for Ali al-Nimr, the nephew of Nimr al-Nimr, the Shia sheik executed by the Saudis in 2016?
Ali al-Nimr was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia after being arrested for attending a pro-democracy rally when he was 17. Imagine this — your teenage son or daughter in the place of this boy.
Ali al-Nimr was tortured, denied necessary access to his lawyer, and had a closed “trial.” It has been reported that his confession to false charges was coerced, and he now faces crucifixion and beheading. His mother has written of the damage done to her son by the beatings she could clearly see had taken place in prison, saying Ali “didn’t need to tell me what had happened because his face, hands, feet and body spoke on his behalf.”
What kind of regime does this? What kind of regime are we supporting, while turning a blind eye to this and the hundreds of other dissidents jailed and killed without a real justice system?
Saudi Arabia has added to their human rights abuses with their new “anti-terrorism” law, which is being used to justify torture and killings of dissidents. Using social media to criticize the state is now “terrorism” in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is not “liberalizing.” It is not opening, changing, or modernizing in anything other than superficial ways. Additionally, it continues its blockade and war in Yemen, which has killed tens of thousands of lives, left millions near starvation, and threatens an entire nation’s population.
Why do we not act? The stated reason is our “relationship” with the Saudis, which boils down to two things — oil and defense contracts.
How much oil and how many defense contracts justify turning a blind eye to the actions of the Saudis? How many dissidents will we allow to be held without trial, tortured, or killed? How many more people need to die at their hands — and ours —
I stand with those who believe we shouldn’t sell arms to the Saudis unless they change their behavior. We are aiding and abetting this behavior. I’ll work once again to cut off the sales of arms to them and will continue to press for other measures to pressure them into change.
There are those who believe some “sanctions” on the people who killed Khashoggi is a good response. I disagree. It is inadequate and misguided. Do you think anyone in power in Saudi Arabia cares if their underlings are sanctioned? No.
Also, stopping arms sales is a more proportionate response. Sanctions that end all trade with Saudi Arabia might produce more global turmoil than we bargained for.
We must take real action to force real change, and that starts with arms sales and aid in the Yemen war. I will look for every opportunity to fight this battle in Congress.
None of our business. America first.
Good lord.
These dumba**es get high on the exhaust from their own tailpipes.
Jamal Khashoggi was Muslim Brotherhood and a jihadiscum supporter. The new boss of Saudi Arabia is eliminating jihadiscum supporters and getting out from under the Muslim Brotherhood.
The death of Jamal Khashoggi was a Good Thing.
Just take a peek at all the bodies the Clintons have buried in the backyard!
Hint: It isn't concerned U.S. citizens. It is the Progressive Media.
Saying the U.S. must go against its own interests to save dissidents is saying the U.S. must let the Progressive Media decide on U.S. priorities.
That is the essence of what is being done here.
Why was Khashoggi singled out to be avenged?
Simple. To put President Trump in a bind. That is all.
President Trump is wrestling control of the U.S. Government from the Progressive Media.
Once there exists a plethora of media choices with different ideologies, the U.S. can use its power to help dissident in ways that advantage the U.S.
Khashoggi is an example of exactly the wrong way to do it.
Shades of 1979.
If I recall correctly, The Shah of Iran was put into power in the 1950s, and for the entire time of his rule, I think his secret police killed about 3,000 people. When the Ayatollah took over, they killed 3 times that many the first year.
Undermining an ally because of their totalitarian methods of dealing with troublemakers is stupid. The current King is modernizing Saudi Arabia in the manner the Shah of Iran was modernizing Iran, and I have little doubt he is going to need to kill a lot of troublemakers.
What does it benefit us or the world to interfere in what he believes he needs to do to drag his people into the 21st century?
Trying to force them to live by our standards presumes a moral underpinning in their culture that does not exist. All we will do is make things worse.
The 3,000 or so the Shah killed is nothing compared to the millions that have died under the power of the Ayatollahs.
We should not be penny wise and dollar foolish.
One Mooselimb kills another Mooselimb. It is what they do, kill anyone around them: Jew, Christian, Hindu, other Mooselimbs. Don’t care when they kill themselves.
Saudi Arabians are not Christians or Jews, they are Muslims that have their own ideas about right and wrong and it is going to differ from our Judeo/Christian ideas.
Muhammad, the perfect man by Muslim standards, had people who gave him a hard time, assassinated.
So this type of behavior from Muslims should be expected , even though by our standards we won't tolerate it in our country.
So if you are out in the woods and see a bear, even though you don't have any ill will in your heart please don't go over and give the bear a pat or a hug, bears have different standards than we do.
And so do Muslims. - Tom
agreed, folks are assasinated everyday we never know
how about justice for all of the Clintons’ alleged Arkancide victims?
Not a US citizen.
Not on US soil.
Not even a US asset, but rather the asset of the Muslim Brotherhood.
So how could it possibly be worth destroying the balance o power in the Middle East, to the peril of Israel, our very best friends in that region.
The Saudis are a rough crowd, So they fight amongst themselves. None of our business.
Exactly
Nice virtue signalling. That and $3 will get you a starbucks.
None of our business. But I’m glad another high profile Muslim Brotherhood asshole is dead. Hope it hurt. Hope Brennan is next. And if the opportunity presents...hmm...
Hello MBS? Got another one for ya. Can I have the head?
So if he’s so concerned about journalists, what does he have to say about the way Julian Assange is being treated? Crickets.
Just waxes eloquent about some Muslim Brotherhood creep who called himself a “journalist.”
Quite a disconnect.
He’s a chip off the old Paul. They’d be okay with the U.S. being destroyed to have any chance of seeing Israel destroyed. Khashoggi was working at his plan for “political Islam” to gather the whole Middle East against the U.S.A. Paul is most likely aware of that and nuttier than a fruitcake.
“I don’t care how many pro-Islamist hacks his goons off,“
The entire Saudi royal family are pro-islamist goons. We should nuke them and be done with it.
L
“considering the lake of oil they control much worse could end up in charge.“
Not if it were us in charge.
L
Coming soon to a country near you.
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