At Atlantic Graeme Wood outlines some questions in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi that make it a mystery. Here are the bullet points:
- Why kill him in the consulate—the one place in Istanbul where Saudi culpability would be undeniable?
- Why kill him with sedatives?
- Why deploy a team of more than a dozen easily recognized Saudi operatives?
- Why bring in a Jamal Khashoggi look-alike?
- Why was Saudi Arabia so ill-prepared for Khashoggi’s death?
to which I’d add why are the editors of the WaPo so intent on papering over the truth about the situation? To those bullet points I’d add a few observations:
- Saudi Arabia isn’t a Western liberal democracy. It isn’t even a Western authoritarian country.
- Saudi Arabia is a country where people are stoned to death for things that aren’t even crimes in Europe or the United States.
- There have been multiple reports that Jamal Khashoggi was a Qatari operative.
- He was certainly a supporter of a Saudi faction opposed to Mohammed Bin Salman.
- Lèse-majesté is a serious crime in many places, not just in Saudi Arabia. In traditional European monarchies it was considered a form of blasphemy.
Just go back to your first dot point a couple posts ago. The Post thinks this in some way dirties up Trump. Never mind your clear eyed assessment, or God forbid, China……those Posty globalist defenders of all that is good……………….
Trump did the hootchy-kootchy sword dance with MBS, claimed the Suadis were going to buy bazillions of dollars of weapons from us, then said that he believed MBS when he claimed he had nothing to do with the killing. Trump does a good enough job himself without needing any help from the Post.
As to the first question, someone (cant remember who) claimed that MBS was sending out a message to his kingdom. They all understood what happened. Only our president was confused.
Steve
Steve, no offense, but what would you like the president to do about this matter? Go to the UN? Sanctions against Saudi Arabia? Send seal team six to kill MBS? Refuse to sell him the jets? Make a sanctimonious speech about values and the worth of human life, then sell him the jets? That really would have worked for BHO, but Trump is not quite that oily.
Couple of things first. Oily? Dont live in the Northeast do you? No long term exposure to Trump and family I take it? There isn’t much that Trump wouldnt do for money. Majorly sleazy sex life too? You bet. Second, those jets, those bazillions in dollars of contracts? Mostly stuff negotiated by Bush and Obama teams. Have the Saudis come through on those? Nope. So Trump is really special and they will do it just for him? More likely they see him as a tool.
So what should Trump do? Stop treating them like an honored and necessary ally. Dont support their war in Yemen. Maybe our arms industry makes a few billion less. Better than aiding and abetting. Dont defend a killer, especially when it makes you look stupid when you do it. Call them out for their role in exporting the madrassas and the philosophythat underpins radical Islam. (So now you whine about Bush and Obama, probably mostly Obama, not doing that either, and that may be a fair point, but then Trump was supposed to be the one who did things differently. Who wasn’t afraid to speak up. If we have to have the downside, which is oh so big, cant we at least have a bit of the upside? He has the balls to make fun of handicapped people, to insult entire nations, to insult women. How about using that brashness to go after a nation whose efforts have killed thousands of Americans on our own soil, not just going after groups that his base hates to score points?)
Steve
1. At least he had a sex life.
2.Call them out for their role in exporting the madrassas and the philosophy that underpins radical Islam.
I really doubt that the Saudi royals could do that and survive.
3. You don’t like Trump personally, and that’s OK.
I don”t know if you’ve ever known a couple in a bad marriage, but that’s what Trump has had with Washington and the media since the beginning. Nothing he could do or say would help. Nothing.
They don’t run 24-7 negative coverage of him on CNN because of policy differences, or because they don’t like him, it’s because HE WON, and they didn’t select him.
“I really doubt that the Saudi royals could do that and survive.”
I am suggesting that Trump do that, not MSA or the royals.
“3. You don’t like Trump personally, and that’s OK.”
The obvious rejoinder is that you are a member of Trump’s cult of personality.
“I donâ€t know if you’ve ever known a couple in a bad marriage, but that’s what Trump has had with Washington and the media since the beginning. Nothing he could do or say would help. Nothing.”
Have been through divorce. Disagree here mostly. I do think some press want revenge for his constantly putting them in harm’s way at his rallies. Also, the media has always focused on scandals overly much. Almost all Clinton coverage during the election was about the emails. Trump’s cabinet and advisers have been one long scandal, mostly minor and easily avoided, but there you are.
That said, I think that Trump is a genius at managing the media. He nearly always controls the narrative. He plays to his base and he almost always gets the coverage that he wants. His supporters, like you have totally bought into this with the constant refrain that he gets too much negative coverage. It reinforces the hate the media message. Oddly enough you guys almost never suggest what should get positive coverage. Think about it. If the NYT starts saying good things about him, what would Breitbart do? There isnt too much coverage on policy as they dont do much policy.
Steve
Tax cuts, reduced federal payroll, enhanced military preparedness, Increased European military spending, dialogue on the Korean peninsula, paring back federal regulation, re-negotiating NAFTA, disengaging from prolonged, pointless military adventures, engaging China on trade issues without pointless pique, anger, or dragging our version of human rights into the discussion. (much of the world views such things differently), attempting to make immigration a legal and lawful process, and not closing down Washington’s streets with a motorcade for “date nights” with Melania every Friday night.
Look in my eyes, what do you see?
The cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I’ve been everything you want to be
I’m the cult of personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I’m the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights, a Nobel Prize
Then a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your T.V.
I’m the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the cult of personality
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
I’m the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights a Nobel Prize
A leader speaks, that leader dies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set you free
You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You gave me power in your own god’s name
I’m every person you need to be
Oh, I’m the cult of personality
I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of
I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of, I’m the cult of personality