Senator Graham: Denying MBS’ Involvement in Khashoggi’s Killing Int’l Blindness

Local Editor

US senator Lindsey Graham wrote an article criticizing the policies of Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and stressed that Congress would take a strong stance to rein in Riyadh regardless of the administration's position.

"The killing of the Saudi regime of Jamal Khashoggi, his reckless military campaign in Yemen, his siege of Qatar and his attempt to remove the Lebanese prime minister all show an arrogant arrogance and disregard for international norms," Graham said in his article in The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

He further mentioned: "If these actions make Saudi Mohammed bin Salman a source of stability in the Middle East, I would hate to see how destabilizing behavior is."

Graham said it was wrong to say that maintaining US alliances requires an exclusive choice between power and principles, asserting that America's strength and principles depend on an international order in which powerful rulers cannot act in accordance with their violent wills.

The senior Republican senator - described as close to US President Donald Trump - criticized the administration's position and its officials' arguments for defending the relationship with Saudi Arabia and ignoring the actions of the Saudi crown prince.

Graham said denying the involvement of the crown prince in Khashoggi's death was "intentional blindness" in the light of evidence gathered by US intelligence, warning that failure to hold Mohammed bin Salman accountable would give the tyrants a green light to liquidate their opponents.

Graham said he had supported the Saudi regime for years and agreed with Trump that Saudi Arabia remained a strategic ally. "But it is not too much to ask an ally not to waste civilized norms. Civilized.”

He expressed his condemnation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's criticism of Saudi Arabia in the United States, echoing the policies of former US President Barack Obama and positions in support of the nuclear agreement with Iran.

"If you do not restrain Saudi Arabia, its recent behavior will strengthen Iran's position by creating a gap between the United States and its other allies in the Middle East," the senator said in his article.

"Lebanon, Jordan and others need what Ensuring that America will not bend to the Crown's vices, it is a ball of destruction for American-Saudi relations.”

In his introduction, Graham referred to the Senate vote a few days ago in favor of a draft resolution to end US support for the Saudi military campaign in Yemen.

The 63 council members who voted for that goal - one of them - felt they could not remain silent when American interests and values were in danger. He stressed that whether this decision passed or not passed, it is important for Congress to say his word and confirms that there is no excuse for the actions of Saudi Arabia last.

He concluded by saying that Congress is an authority equivalent to the government that plays its leading role to preserve the country's interests, values and reputation, and "no one has to do so."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team