The Saudi Arabian government is starting to realize that their claims of innocence regarding the murder of a Washington Post journalist is just not believable, so they are floating a new story -- that the murder was done by rogue elements who let an interview get out of hand. But these photos from The New York Times shows that is not true either. The guilty parties had close ties to the Saudi government (especially Mohammed bin Salman). The Times writes:
One of the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi was a frequent companion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — seen disembarking from airplanes with him in Paris and Madrid and photographed standing guard during his visits this year to Houston, Boston and the United Nations. Three others are linked by witnesses and other records to the Saudi crown prince’s security detail. A fifth is a forensic doctor who holds senior positions in the Saudi Interior Ministry and medical establishment, a figure of such stature that he could be directed only by a high-ranking Saudi authority. If, as the Turkish authorities say, these men were present at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul where Mr. Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2, they might provide a direct link between what happened and Prince Mohammed. That would undercut any suggestion that Mr. Khashoggi died in a rogue operation unsanctioned by the crown prince. Their connection to him could also make it more difficult for the White House and Congress to accept such an explanation. The New York Times has confirmed independently that at least nine of 15 suspects identified by Turkish authorities worked for the Saudi security services, military or other government ministries. One of them, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, was a diplomat assigned to the Saudi Embassy in London in 2007, according to a British diplomatic roster. He traveled extensively with the crown prince, perhaps as a bodyguard.
This doesn't matter to Donald Trump. He's trying to help the Saudi government by floating their "rogue killer" theory, even though he has to know (from his own intelligence services) that is simply not true. Why is he doing this? Does he approve of governments murdering journalists? No. The truth is he doesn't care what the Saudi's (or any other government) does.
Trump has no moral center. The only things he respects are money and power. And the diplomacy his administration follows is just like himself -- without a moral and ethical center. For the Trump administration diplomacy = dollars. If a country is feeding dollars into the U.S. Treasury (and Trump's businesses), then they can do whatever they want (including murder and torture of their own citizens or journalists).
This "dollar diplomacy" is a new and shameful position for the U.S. government. While it's true that other American presidents have supported some authoritarian regimes, there have been limits -- and those presidents have supported and tried to encourage the spread of human rights around the world (and in those authoritarian regimes).
The Trump administration is different. To it, morality and human rights have no meaning. And Trump has made sure the world understands that. In his recent speech at the U.N., he told the other countries of the world that he doesn't care what happens within their borders -- as long as the U.S. is first in monetary agreements. Evidently, the Saudi's believed him -- and I suspect other authoritarian regimes did also.
Is this what we want from our government -- an abandonment of morality and human rights in pursuit of dollars? If not, then you must go to the polls and vote Trump's protectors (Republicans) out of power.
