UN SAYS COME CLEAN ON KHASHOGGI MURDER

Dec 20, 2018 Editorial

The murder of Washington Post reporter and critic of Saudi Arabia, Jamal Khashoggi, continues to make the headlines in this and other media outlets, despite President Trump’s steadfast support for its Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Bin Salman claimed that he was not involved.
Since the murder of Khashoggi was made known to the public, Saudi officials have issued several statements denying any involvement by the crown prince. But in a change of tactics recently, Saudi’s public prosecutor who conducted a thorough investigation of the murder at Saudi Arabia Consulate in Intstanbul, Turkey, asserted that it was premeditated. This has reversed previous official statements by the Kingdom that the murder was unintended.
The death of Khashoggi has sparked global outrage. It has mushroomed into an international crisis for the world’s top oil exporter and strategic ally of the West, particularly the United States, in the fight against Iranian power in the Middle East.
The CIA investigation contradicts the assertions by the Saudi government that Prince Mohammed bin Salmon was not involved.
Although President Trump’s position on the death of Khashoggi varied, yet he firmly supported the crown prince whom he said has vigorously denied any knowledge of the Khashoggi killing. Trump’s statement that the CIA report is inclusive has infuriated senators from both sides of the aisle. They have accused him of ignoring his own intelligence agencies and undermining American values and beliefs at home and abroad by refusing to confront the Saudi government over the brutal and premediated murder.
The senators have claimed is a human rights atrocity. As a result, some of his fellow Republicans have broken ties with him and have joined with Democrats in the Senate to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia.
The sanctions include the freezing of assets in the US, travel bans and prohibition of Americans from doing business with those involved in the murder. The truth is many of the sanctions imposed on Saudi nationals are already in effect. These officials will never be allowed to visit the U.S.
In addition, the US Senate has approved a resolution that calls for an end to U.S involvement in the Saudi Arabia—United Arab Emirates led conflict in Yemen. This has set the stage for a potential showdown next year between President Trump and the Democrats-controlled Congress over US military support for Saudi Arabia.
Despite intense pressure from U.S lawmakers to impose tougher sanctions on Saudi Arabia and to cancel the military contract with the Saudi kingdom, Trump has refused, claiming that the cancellation of the contract would result in the loss of thousands of jobs for Americans and that it would be foolish because it would benefit Russia and China.
President Trump has not only defied the pressures but he has also defied all the odds which would likely place him on the wrong side of history.
The truth about Khashoggi’s murder may never be known. After more than a month, Khashoggi’s murder continues to make the headlines not only in this and other news media around the world, but also in the United Nations (UN) which has now made it its top priority.
For the first time the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutterres, has called for a full and credible investigation into the murder and to punish those found culpable of the crime.
The UN chief has also made it clear that the murder has outraged many western countries and has damaged Saudi Arabia’s international reputation and that it is time for Riyadh to come clean.

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