The heads of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have demanded that the President confirm whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, both senators asked point-blank whether the crown prince was involved in the murder, according to a copy of the letter released by the lawmakers. Trump is required under the Magnitsky Act to make determinations about possible human rights violations by global leaders if the Foreign Relations Committee requests it, which leadership did in October.
“In light of recent developments, including the Saudi government’s acknowledgement that Saudi officials killed Mr. Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate, we request that your determination specifically address whether Crown Prince Mohamed [sic] bin Salman is responsible for Mr. Khashoggi’s murder,” the senators said in the letter.
The bipartisan request comes on the heels of Trump’s release of a statement in support of Saudi Arabia that waffled on whether Salman was involved in Khashoggi murder: “Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said Tuesday on Salman’s knowledge of the crime.
H/t: Politico.
Good for them. Trump knows the answer.
They can ask, but who, or what, will compel tRump to answer?
tRump’s foreign policy approach explained:
Donald Trump’s version of realpolitik is essentially a powerful ally can get away with any thing they want and we will wink and nod. That is the realpolitik of a fearful supplicant. If you are the world’s leader you set the moral tone and enforce established standards of behavior. Any temporary difficulty that might create will rebound to you in many positive ways down the road. Trump and his foreign policy team are too stupid to understand that right up until he was elected America was the world’s last superpower. Now we are just another country. No wonder Putin is doing so well.
Wait, I thought the Magnitsky Act was just about adopting children
Maybe Don Jr. should take a meeting and sort this out…
I think he’s already answered this. Basically what he said is “Who cares?” That’s what America First! means: not caring about the horrors we leave in our wake.