US Senators Blast Saudi Rights Record, Call MBS ’Full Gangster’

By Staff, Agencies

US Senators challenged President Donald Trump's nominee to the post of United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia to take a tough line with the kingdom on human rights and other abuses.

Relatively, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch warned while Saudi Arabia was a strategically important ally, the alliance must be reconciled with American values.

The senators accused the kingdom of a litany of misdeeds and criticized Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MBS] as going "full gangster".

They also condemned the kingdom's conduct in the war in Yemen, heavy-handed diplomacy and jailing and torturing its critics, including several women's rights activists.

They further brought up the murder of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.