Harris Lies, Americans Die. Illegal Aliens are more Important

[webfact]

U.S. Cabinet members defend close Saudi ties, lawmakers unconvinced

By Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pauses during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, U.S., November 20, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior U.S. Cabinet members urged senators on Wednesday not to downgrade ties with Saudi Arabia over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but lawmakers from both parties said they could not turn a blind eye to reports that the country's de facto ruler was involved in last month's killing.

 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said there was no hard evidence that the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the killing, seemingly contradicting an assessment by the CIA about Khashoggi's death in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

 

"We have no smoking gun the crown prince was involved, not the intelligence community or anyone else. There is no smoking gun," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.

 

Mattis said he had read all the U.S. intelligence reports about the incident and a transcript of what is believed to be an audio recording of the killing.

 

After repeated calls from members of Congress for a strong U.S. response to Khashoggi's death, both Mattis and Pompeo briefed the Senate behind closed doors about Saudi Arabia, the Oct. 2 murder of Khashoggi and the war in Yemen.

 

Echoing similar comments from President Donald Trump, they said downgrading U.S. ties with ally Saudi Arabia would harm national security.

 

Pompeo acknowledged to the lawmakers that the Yemen conflict - in which Saudi Arabia is deeply involved - has taken a terrible toll on civilians, but he argued that the Saudis provide an important counterweight to Iran in the region.

 

"More broadly, degrading ties with Saudi Arabia would be a grave mistake for U.S. national security, and that of our allies," Pompeo said in his prepared remarks to the Senate. "The Kingdom is a powerful force for stability in an otherwise fraught Middle East."

 

Pompeo told reporters after the briefing that there was no direct evidence connecting Crown Prince Mohammed to Khashoggi's murder.

 

However, Pompeo and Mattis did not seem to sway leading Senate foreign policy voices, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who said they believed taking no action would send a more dangerous message to the world.

 

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after the briefing it was apparent to everyone in the room that the crown prince was responsible for Khashoggi's death.

 

'OUT OF CONTROL'

"We have a problem here. We understand that Saudi Arabia is an ally, of sorts, and a semi-important country," Corker said. "We also have a crown prince that's out of control."

 

Corker warned that Congress would act if the administration does not. "I think 80 percent of the people left the hearing this morning not feeling like an appropriate response has been forthcoming," Corker said.

 

Defying the White House, the Senate voted on Wednesday to advance a resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's civil war, setting the stage for a possible final vote on the measure within days.

 

Senator Bob Menendez, the Foreign Relations Committee's top Democrat, said Washington was basically telling an ally "you can kill with impunity."

 

"It is outrageous that we are willing to turn our eye away from such a murder because we have 'interests,'" Menendez said.

 

Trump has dismissed a CIA assessment that the crown prince likely ordered Khashoggi's killing. He vowed last week to remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia and said it was not clear whether the prince knew about the plan to kill Khashoggi.

 

Those comments further angered members of Congress who have demanded an investigation of potential involvement by the crown prince.

 

Many were angry that CIA Director Gina Haspel did not participate in the briefing, as they had requested.

 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of Trump's closest congressional allies, said he wanted to know whether the CIA assessment supports his belief that the killing could not have happened without the prince's knowledge.

 

Graham said he would withhold his vote on any key issue, including must-pass spending bills, until the CIA briefs senators about Khashoggi's killing.

 

When asked if he had told Trump as much, Graham said, "I just did."

 

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states have been battling in Yemen since 2015 to restore a government driven out by the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbours view as agents of Iran. The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created the world's most urgent humanitarian emergency.

 

Pompeo said the United States would provide an additional $131 million for food aid in Yemen.

 

Mattis said pulling back U.S. military support in Yemen and stopping weapons sales to important partners would be misguided.

 

"Our security interests cannot be dismissed," Mattis said, even as Washington seeks accountability for Khashoggi's murder, a crime which "our country does not condone."

 

An Argentine federal judge reviewing a complaint against the Saudi crown prince has asked the Argentine Foreign Ministry to seek information from Yemen, Turkey and the International Criminal Court, the judge's office said.

 

The office of judge Ariel Lijo said it was seeking information on any open cases relating to the murder of Khashoggi or war crimes in Yemen.

 

The crown prince arrived in Buenos Aires earlier on Wednesday for a summit of G20 nations.

 

(Additional reporting by Idrees Ali and David Alexander; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-11-29

[stevenl]

No surprise.

[Lungstib]

With a government controlled, installed and in abeyance to corporations and banking there is little to no chance that anyone wants to upset the provider of the oil. Multi millionaires are unlikely to strive for a political decision that will impoverish them.

[heybruce]

Yes, Saudi Arabia is an important US ally.

 

Yes, the world economy depends on Saudi Arabia oil exports.

 

No, that doesn't mean Saudi Arabia can send a hit squad abroad to kill anyone who irritates the new leader.

 

Dealing with a situation like this is complicated, and no response will leave everyone satisfied.  However this administration's pathetically weak response is an embarrassment to the country, a betrayal of ideals, and will encourage other despots to commit similar crimes.

[Somtamnication]

What can I say?

 

[flyingtlger]

Follow the money trail......you'll find all the answers as to who and why there's a cover up.

 

 

 

[helpisgood]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

"We have no smoking gun the crown prince was involved, not the intelligence community or anyone else. There is no smoking gun," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.

 

I am so tired of that expression "no smoking gun."  It works well because of the vivid imagery and it focuses on the possible doubts that exist, no matter how trivial those doubts may be.      

 

I think it's been used too often as a way of moving the goalposts of the evidence needed to an unreasonable degree to justify taking action regardless of even facts that are, beyond a reasonable doubt, supporting guilt.  If we did this in criminal law, we could just about acquit every defendant.  

 

It has become more and more a way of simply saying that "we're just not going to find him/her guilty no matter what unless we are forced to do so."  It probably in the lexicon of every politician and diplomat.

 

Thus, I think that's what Mattis really said.   

Edited November 29, 2018 by helpisgood
typo

[Scottjouro]

9 hours ago, heybruce said:

Yes, Saudi Arabia is an important US ally.

 

Yes, the world economy depends on Saudi Arabia oil exports.

 

No, that doesn't mean Saudi Arabia can send a hit squad abroad to kill anyone who irritates the new leader.

 

Dealing with a situation like this is complicated, and no response will leave everyone satisfied.  However this administration's pathetically weak response is an embarrassment to the country, a betrayal of ideals, and will encourage other despots to commit similar crimes.

Arms sales...to continue Saudis genocide in Yemen...and please dont single out Trump, they have all been at it  include that well known peace prize winner Obama...

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/15797/the-value-of-us-arms-exports-to-saudi-arabia/

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Scottjouro

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, Scottjouro said:

Arms sales...to continue Saudis genocide in Yemen...and please dont single out Trump, they have all been at it  include that well known peace prize winner Obama...

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/15797/the-value-of-us-arms-exports-to-saudi-arabia/

How many Presidents showed open affection for dictators, insulted democratic allies, and called the press "the enemy of the people"?

 

It's no surprise the Saudi government felt they had a green light to kill a journalist in another country.  In view of Trump's limp response, they and others will continue to assume a green light for such activities.