CRITICS: Trump's response toward Saudi Arabia soft on Khashgoggi death, riles GOP
By Mona Austin
President Donald Trump is losing trust among Republicans for siding with Saudi Arabia in the death of an American journalist. Washington Post (The Post) columnist, Jamal Khashgoogi was decapitated on Oct. 2 inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Arabia considers him to be an enemy of the state and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, i.e, a threat. Trump said "the world" may be responsible for the death of Jamal Khashgoogi and continues to defend America's relationship with the Saudi Kingdom.
Per The Post, their writer used his voice for the good of the government and the people of Saudi Arabia, often directing commentaries at the crown prince: "He was hoping to influence for the better. He wanted the regime’s governing program to succeed, and he argued that would be more likely if liberal advocates were free to speak. By 'encouraging public debate and discussion by relaxing his grip on the country’s media, as well as releasing those jailed for expressing their views, [Mohammed bin Salman] would prove that he is indeed a true reformer,' Mr. Khashoggi wrote."
The president said he believed Saudi Arabian King Salman and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who denied any knowledge of the murder, which has caused many Republicans to distance themselves from him. His position is being viewed as covering for Saudi royals.
"I am not covering. With that being said, Saudi Arabia has been a very good ally of ours in the Middle East. We are stopping Iran."
Several GOP lawmakers have launched investigations into Khashgoggi's death. Critics wonder if the president's personal business dealings are tied into his pardoning of Saudi Arabia
In his statement Tuesday, Trump explained that "canceling" Saudi arms deals would hurt defense contractors and be a "gift" to Russia and China.
"After my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Kingdom agreed to spend and invest $450 billion in the United States. This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States. Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and many other great U.S. defense contractors. If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries - and very happy to acquire all of this newfound business. It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States!," he said in the statement.
The CIA released a report saying it believed with "high confidence" that the Saudi Arabian government was responsible for Khasgoggi's murder but Trump still has his doubts about their findings saying their conclusion is based on a "feeling."
"Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t
Critics also say Trump is not holding Saudi Arabia accountable with penalties and ignoring the act of torture, a human rights violation, for economic reasons.
The statement ensures the president has taken action against individual Saudis.
"The crime against Jamal Khashoggi was a terrible one, and one that our country does not condone. Indeed, we have taken strong action against those already known to have participated in the murder. After great independent research, we now know many details of this horrible crime. We have already sanctioned 17 Saudis known to have been involved in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, and the disposal of his body," wrote Trump.
The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu believes the Saudi government ordered a hit on Kashgoogi and accused Trump of turning a blind eye to the US intelligence community on the matter.
