Posted on 10/13/2018 6:51:54 PM PDT by Kaslin
The missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has caused world leaders to focus on not only the role Saudi Arabia may have played in his disappearance but also its role in the Yemeni civil war. The missing Saudi journalist (a U.S. resident) is apparently the victim of a political assassination of the sort that occurs much too frequently throughout the Middle East and the world, e.g., Iran, Pakistan, Russia, China, et al. No journalists should be subjected to threats of intimidation or threats on their life, much less murder for expressing political opposition. Saudi Arabia must be required to make a full accounting for the disappearance of Khashoggi. Should the evidence show that Saudi individuals, perhaps even the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, were responsible for Khashoggi’s disappearance and possible murder, they must pay a price imposed either by the Saudi government—or the U.S. government.
While we have many shared interests with Saudi Arabia, we do not have shared values in most cases. In that sense, not only the treatment of journalists critical of the regime, but also the denial of women’s, minority, and non-Muslims’ rights as mandated by the Qur’an and shariah are prime examples. Our primary shared interests clearly involve preventing the expansion and dominance of Iranian terror-linked influence throughout the Middle East. Further, regime change in Tehran is also a vital shared interest both for U.S. national security interests and those of our Israeli ally and other partners in the region.
Never forget, Iran has been at war with the United States since 3 November 1979. This Iranian regime is responsible for the loss of thousands of American civilian and military lives, from Beirut to New York City and the Pentagon, to the battlefields of Iraq. Its key role in providing essential assistance and operational direction in the 9/11 terrorist attacks must never be forgotten. Iran’s bid for control of Yemen through its backing of the Houthi rebels would give Iran direct access to threaten the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait where more than one-third of the world’s oil in transit passes through on a daily basis. Along with its long-time threats to the Strait of Hormuz, such access would give Iran direct ability to threaten two of the world’s strategic straits and de facto ability to threaten a third, the Suez Canal. Such a threat position cannot be allowed to happen.
With all the media hype about the disappearance of the Saudi journalist, Khashoggi, we must not lose sight of our larger objectives in the area. In many civil wars, regrettably, there is always a humanitarian crisis. Yemen is no different. It’s what a civil war is about. Houthi rebels backed by Iran have committed numerous atrocities, mainly unreported by the mainstream media (MSM). Saudi Arabia’s indiscriminate airstrikes that have caused thousands of civilian casualties, however, are given primary attention. There is no question Yemen is suffering a humanitarian crisis which must be resolved by a negotiated solution as soon as possible. Taking back control of the port city of Hodeida is key to reaching such a settlement. Such action would isolate the Houthi rebels in the south and keep them from their bases in the Yemeni highlands. It would also facilitate the recapture of the capital city, Sanaa, and its airport. Further, it would be a tremendous psychological blow to both the rebels and Iran. It would be a major step in cutting off a key access point for Iranian support to the rebels.
Iran’s role in supporting the Houthi rebels is very transparent. It is all part of a plan to expand the Iranian Shi’ite Crescent to where it becomes the dominant force in the Middle East. They hope to accomplish this by physically surrounding the Arabian Peninsula with “proxy” forces supported with its own behind-the-scenes forces and material. This classic Iranian tactic extends its geo-strategic reach and positions it to attack its arch-enemy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the ultimate objective to seize control of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Forcing Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal from the Yemeni civil war would only facilitate Iran’s hegemonic and terrorist objectives throughout the Middle East and beyond (Latin America), which include encircling the entire Arabian Peninsula with its oil and gas resources. Preventing this strategic debacle from happening must be a top Trump administration-Saudi Arabia shared objective. Resolving the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi and ensuring appropriate punishment of those involved—even if at the top levels of the Saudi regime—nevertheless must be handled separately from maintaining our shared interests in eliminating the Iranian theocracy. This is key!
Being a Muzzie Bro doesn’t put one at risk?
Wasn’t an American.
Wasn’t a WaPo journo —he simply contributed a couple times.
He was WAAAAAY more fundamentalist than they’re saying.
Lefties simply understand Trump is close to a NOMINAL reformer in Saudi Arabia.
SNUB TRUMP AT ANY COST is their thinking.
What should America act on? American interests.
Muzzie kills muzzie, ain’t our problem.
Lemme get this right:
BlabbyFlabbyMuzzie croaks in an Embassy so now Trump is required to jettison our relationship with the biggest local competitor to Iran and all our arms sales, huh..?
NAH..!
This is a re-run of our ‘79 dumping of the Shah of Iran:
IMPULSIVE AND STUPID, Carter-esque.
The Shaw wasn’t perfect, but behold what replaced him.
Sorry, Flabby, you knowingly took your chances:
America shouldn’t have to pay.
I just saw something on the “Sic Semper Tyrannis” blog about this and how retired US military officers are on the Saudi take.
The guy writing the blog used to be a military attache there and knows the system.
Peter Hitchens in also writing in his Sunday column now posted on his blog about the subservience of his country to the Saudis.
Hitchens can’t be certain about what happened to Khashoggi, but has no doubt his country bends over to Saudi Arabia.
I’ll link to both items:
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/
Hitchens writes about Khashoggi after talking his own country’s five trillion dollars worth of debt, a driving force no doubt behind bowing down to Riyadh.
This doesn’t make sense to me. If the Saudies wanted him dead they could have killed him anywhere. Why would they kill him in their own building. They are not stupid. Also why would they send 15 people to d what one person could do.
Doesn't matter. The media is ITCHING to paint Trump as condoning the brutal murder of a "journalist" if he blows this off. So he is smart to pay lip service to it for 3 more weeks until the election.
DEEP STATE FALSE FLAG
1) He isn’t an American citizen so we shouldn’t be involved.
2) He is muslim brotherhood.
3) The WP should be answering why they hired him.
Well, according to reports, he was dismembered and carried out. Fifteen guys wearing dresses could do that.
Also, he was pretty much persona non grata in Saudi Arabia but not in Turkey. Even though he was dealing with the Saudi Consulate, he probably felt pretty safe. I figure they lured him there to get some kind of papers he needed to get married. My question is, what sort of rights did he have as a legal resident of the U.S.?
This could be a very bad thing to happen so near the election. I wouldn’t want it to effect the election.
Now it is coming out that one of the two “sources” for the story turns out to be Khaled Saffuri - a Saudi enemy with deep ties to Hamas.
I am starting to worry that Khashoggi was not killed after all (that he is in Turkey laughing with their Intel folks), and that this is just a smear operation to malign Trump before the election, and break up the US/Saudi alliance.
One of the two reporters who broke this story, using this unreliable source, was Michael Isikoff - who published the Trump Russia dossier story, which was fed to him by Michael Steele, and used to get the FISA warrant to spy on the Trump campaign.
Smells fishy.
Yes it does smell fishy.
Supposedly he was murdered and hacked to pieces and snuck out...
Then how in the hell did the Turks get the watch that has the evidence.
Makes zero sense. Literally unbelievable.
They are indeed stupid, typically one standard deviation below the western norm. And they cannot produce a video of him departing the consulate.
The watch live broadcasted it to the iPhone of his fiance waiting outside the embassy an to the cloud.
The Turks didn’t get the watch and have no need to.
Erdogan has murdered several dozen military officers since the utterly bogus coup d’état that Erdogan “survived” several years ago.
Why does Europe bow down to this Muslim fanatic?
Why does Trump even communicate with this guy?
Bluetooth range - unobstructed by walls - is around 30 feet. No internet connection available in that area. bogus slant, misdirection.
Turks would have gotten the watch when they arrested the 15 ‘travelers’ ... the Saudis needed 15 killers because?
Why does Trump even communicate with this guy?
The Turkish claims are BS. While it may be true that the Saudis killed a Saudi jihadist who supported jihad through his urinalistic endeavors, the Turkish tale is complete and utter BS. It’s just as likely that the Turks killed the creep and immediately after his disappearance launched their PR offensive.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3696414/posts?page=37#37
I don’t give a flying fook about Kagogee...
The watch does not contain the evidence. You should reread the story.
The Apple Watch has a cell radio—it will connect even if the phone is off.
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