As the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared at his country’s consulate in Istanbul amid almost confirmed reports that he was murdered, dismembered, removed in boxes, and flown out of Turkey, the US media highlighted the negative effects of the incident on the ties between Riyadh and Washington.
Knowing that Khashoggi holds the US nationality as well, the Saudi journalist has been criticizing the recent policies of the crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, especially in Yemen.
The Washington Post published Monday an article in which it mentioned that Khashoggi, 59, had recently moved to the United States in self-imposed exile.
“This could be the moment that Saudi Arabia finally loses Washington. If his killing is confirmed, it could prompt a decisive change in how the United States deals with Saudi Arabia,” according to the article.
The Washington Post cited Republican and Democratic lawmakers as issuing notes of alarm over the reports of Khashoggi’s death and threatening repercussions if they were true.
The article also blasted the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for promising to liberalize his country and earning plaudits from a host of American commentators, while terrorizing rivals and arresting numerous feminists and civil-society activists, including some who now face the death penalty.
In Congress, there is growing disquiet over the apparent carte blanche the White House has given the Saudis, particularly as the United States continues to back the bloody Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, which has seen mounting civilian casualties, the article added.
Source: The Washington Post
