US senators have written to President Donald Trump demanding that his administration<\/b>
\nIndependent.ie Newsdesk Twitter Email
November 21 2018 6:41 AM
US senators have written to President Donald Trump demanding that his administration \u00ab\u00a0make a determination\u00a0\u00bb about whether the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the killing of US-based columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Senators Bob Corker and Bob Menendez wrote a letter to Mr Trump on Tuesday, asking for an investigation under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The act requires the president to determine whether a foreign person is responsible for an extrajudicial killing, torture or other gross violation of internationally recognised human rights against an individual exercising freedom of expression.
On Tuesday, the president condemned the killing of Mr Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as a \u00ab\u00a0horrible crime… that our country does not condone\u00a0\u00bb.
But he rejected calls by many in Congress, including members of his own party, for a tougher response, and he dismissed reports from US intelligence agencies that the crown prince must have at least known about such an audacious and intricate plot.
\u00ab\u00a0It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event,\u00a0\u00bb the president said. \u00ab\u00a0Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!\u00a0\u00bb
It came after weeks of debate over whether the president would or should come down hard on the Saudis and the crown prince in response to the killing of the Saudi columnist for The Washington Post who had criticised the royal family.
The US earlier sanctioned 17 Saudi officials suspected of being responsible for or complicit in the October 2 killing, but members of Congress have called for harsher actions, including cancelling arms sales.
Mr Trump said \u00ab\u00a0foolishly cancelling these contracts\u00a0\u00bb worth billions of dollars would only benefit Russia and China, which would be next in line to supply the weapons.
Asked by a reporter if he was saying that human rights are too expensive to fight for, he responded, \u00ab\u00a0No, I’m not saying that at all.\u00a0\u00bb
He then switched the subject to the \u00ab\u00a0terrorist nation\u00a0\u00bb of Iran rather than any actions by Saudi Arabia.
The US needs a \u00ab\u00a0counterbalance\u00a0\u00bb to Iran, \u00ab\u00a0and Israel needs help, too,\u00a0\u00bb he said. \u00ab\u00a0If we abandon Saudi Arabia, it would be a terrible mistake.\u00a0\u00bb
But Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky contended the administration has \u00ab\u00a0blinders on\u00a0\u00bb in comparing Iran and Saudi Arabia.
\u00ab\u00a0It’s a sign of weakness not to stand up to Saudi Arabia,\u00a0\u00bb Mr Paul said in an interview. \u00ab\u00a0Sometimes when you have two evils, maybe you don’t support either side.\u00a0\u00bb
Republican Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina senator who is close to Mr Trump, also disagreed with the president’s statement, saying America must not lose its \u00ab\u00a0moral voice\u00a0\u00bb on the international stage.
\u00ab\u00a0It is not in our national security interests to look the other way when it comes to the brutal murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi,\u00a0\u00bb Mr Graham said.
Likewise, Representative Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said that to suggest that US silence can be bought with arms sales \u00ab\u00a0undermines respect for the office of the presidency, the credibility of our intelligence community and America’s standing as a champion of human rights\u00a0\u00bb.
Mr Trump told reporters on the South Lawn that oil prices would \u00ab\u00a0skyrocket\u00a0\u00bb if the US broke with the Saudis, and he was not going to \u00ab\u00a0destroy\u00a0\u00bb the world’s economy by being \u00ab\u00a0foolish with Saudi Arabia\u00a0\u00bb.
Asked about any personal financial involvement, he said: \u00ab\u00a0Saudi Arabia has nothing to do with me. What does have to do with me is putting America first.\u00a0\u00bb
Mr Trump said that King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed both \u00ab\u00a0vigorously deny\u00a0\u00bb any knowledge of the planning or execution of the killing.
He also said the CIA has not made a conclusive determination about whether the crown prince ordered it.
\u00ab\u00a0We may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi,\u00a0\u00bb Mr Trump said.
\u00ab\u00a0In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran.\u00a0\u00bb
Saudi prosecutors say a 15-man team sent to Istanbul exceeded its authority when the lead negotiator in the team decided to kill Mr Khashoggi for refusing orders to return. The Saudis say the agents dismembered his body, which has not been found.
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