Trump administration slaps sanctions on Saudis over Khashoggi's death

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

Trump administration slaps sanctions on Saudis over Khashoggi's death

Well, they didn't implicate the big Kahuna, but I guess it's something.

The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions targeting 17 Saudi Arabian officials — but not the powerful crown prince — over the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi more than a month after the Saudi critic went missing.

The Treasury Department designated the officials for sanctions over what it called "serious human rights abuse," freezing any U.S. assets and barring American citizens from engaging in business with them. The announcement named royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and said he led the team that flew into Istanbul just hours before Khashoggi entered the consulate there for paperwork relating to his planned marriage. Al-Qahtani was fired from his post in late October.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who decided not to attend the glitzy "Davos in the Desert" business and investment conference in Riyadh amid outrage over Khashoggi's death, said al-Qahtani and the other 16 officials were directly involved in the "abhorrent killing" and must face consequences for it. He also called on the Saudi government to "end any targeting of political dissidents or journalists."

Edited November 15, 2018 by Dan Warnick

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

It certainly is something... unless all these are critics of MBS, that is. 

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

3 minutes ago, Marina Schwarz said:

It certainly is something... unless all these are critics of MBS, that is. 

What is the Saudi version of Arkancide called?

Asking for a friend.

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

Riyacide, perhaps? Or, wait, no, Meccacide has a better ring to it. But don't tell anyone. I'm not getting droned over a word.

[Guillaume Albasini + 851]

If the 17 Saudi Arabian officers targeted by he sanctions are among the 21 in custody in KSA I don't see how American citizens could engage in business with them... So these sanctions have no real effect.

Meanwhile, some interesting developments are happening...

According to the Washington Post, the CIA has concluded that MBS ordered the killing and the agency has passed that assessment on to lawmakers and Trump administration officials.  The State Department reacted to this news insisting that the U.S. had not yet reached a determination regarding the death of Khashoggi, and that “numerous unanswered questions” remained. Trump said "as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We're going to have to find out what they have to say."  And John Bolton told reporters  "I have not listened to the tape myself, but in the assessment of those who have listened to it, it does not, in any way, link the crown prince to the killing," 

Kirsten Fontenrose, the top White House official responsible for American policy toward Saudi Arabia resigned on Friday evening, a move that may suggest fractures inside the Trump administration. She had pushed for tough measures against the Saudi government, and had been in Riyadh to discuss a raft of sanctions that the American government imposed in recent days against those identified as responsible for the killing. When she returned to Washington, she had a dispute with her bosses (Bolton?) at the National Security Council, where she had served as the director for the Persian Gulf region.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/17/us/politics/trump-khashoggi-saudi-arabia.html

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was less cautious on the role of MBS : "The intel that I’m aware of points to MBS. There’s no smoking gun, but I don’t think there’s any question that he directed it, knew it. And we’ve got to figure out a way to cause (the Saudis) to pay a price. I see tremendous negative feelings (in Congress) toward Saudi Arabia right now,"

Several other lawmakers are pushing for dramatic action against Saudi Arabia, including ceasing all arms sales to the kingdom and defunding the U.S. war effort in Yemen. Corker suggested those proposals could pass in the current climate, particularly if Trump was not forthcoming.  

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/13/bolton-khashoggi-audio-doesnt-implicate-saudi-crown-prince-mbs/1986311002/