Posted by Tina
The dust is settling around the mysterious death (murder) of Jamal Khashoggi. Speculation and assertions can be set aside for the moment as information is supplied. Sebastian Gorka fills in details of interest at American Greatness in his piece, “Why the Media Couldn’t Care Less About Khashoggi.”
1. Khashoggi “was neither an American nor was he strictly speaking a journalist.” Heonly recently moved to the US and operates as an opinion writer and commentator.
2. Khashoggi “was a friend of the Osama bin Laden family and an activist.”
3. The WaPo is praising Khashoggi and calling him a “champion of free speech and democracy.” But he is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood…”the ideological mothership that gave us Hamas, al-Qaeda, and, eventually, the Islamic State. ”
4. Khashoggi’s organization, “DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World), was providing the glide path for Islamists to pervert and subvert any nascent structures of representative government in the Middle East.”
As Mr. Gorka states in his article, none of these facts excuse this brutal (barbarick) murder.
But they do underscore the delicate position of our administration in dealing with the Saudi government. The Saudi’s have been a helpful ally in the Middle East for many decades. It’s important to handle this matter with care.
And then there’s the matter of media coverage. If Americans are going to know the truth it’s important that we are aware of the reliability, or lack thereof, in reports coming from American news sources. Analysis shows that 90% of coverage of President Trump by the main stream media is negative. Keeping that in mind, Gorka asks:
1. “How many column-inches have already been expended on this one foreign death overseas in past three days, versus those dedicated to the deaths of three American nationals, including a serving ambassador, in the whole month after the Benghazi attack in September 2012?”
2. “…as former CNN defense correspondent and radio host Chris Plante has recently asked, how many hours of TV coverage have already been broadcast on Khashoggi’s fate as opposed to Seth Rich’s murder? Rich, after all, was an American working at the center of American politics who was killed in the nation’s capital.”
Regarding the Khashoggi murder? Beware of mainstream media coverage and liberal talking points. Instead….
Media worthy reads: Ben Weingarten, The Federalist, “Why Is Khashoggi Being Made The Defining Issue Of U.S. Foreign Policy?
Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, “Pompeo scolds ABC News for ‘factually false’ report he listened to Khashoggi murder tape”
Virginia Kruta, The Daily Caller, “Benghazi Survivor Has Choice Words For Those Who Criticize Trump Over Khashoggi”
Re “The Saudi’s have been a helpful ally in the Middle East for many decades.”
Helpful, really? You mean since 9/11 which was committed enlarge by Saudi Nationals? Giuliani was right to refuse assistance from the “Prince” snake-in-the-grass.
How is Saudi helpful by supporting proxy wars between it and Iran and involving us in this mess? Iran may be our enemy but Saudi is no friend.
That said, Democrats and their volunteer propaganda machine is using this murder to unfairly bash Trump. Like no one saw that crap coming.
The despotic Saudi totalitarian regime is a major player in Middle East disruptions and theirs is a society of the “lawful” and bestial brutality of Sharia and religious repression of non-Islamic religions. Moreover this depraved Islamic totalitarian state protects intolerant, terror supporting mosques. The whole of the government and society is run by Islamic thugs who are — at their core — cowards in the face of democracy.
Sometimes American and Saudi interests may coincide, but that does not make them an ally. They are far from it. They are at best an evil regime which we sometimes (and nonsensically imho) align ourselves with.
They have been a “strategic” ally Pie, in the vein of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” That doesn’t mean the relationship is on par with our alignment with Briton, for instance. I did not mean to imply that was true.
For many years the Saudi Royals were able to hold oil prices over our heads, and did. They used their oil money to provide everything to their people ( A democrats dream). However that worm has turned. Their oil supply is dwindling and America has gained energy independence. The prince realized the need to diversify into modern technologies and jobs or be left in the dust, so to speak.
Marketwatch:
I don’t know how Trump and his guys will handle the changing environment but I trust him more than anyone to know what to do. And I trust he will be a transparent as possible.
If Trump has been anything, it is transparent. To a fault. I respect that and contrast it to one of the most obfuscated administrations in US history — Obama. His claim to have “the most transparent administration ever” was the second biggest lie of a compulsive serial liar. Trump lies and exaggerates about inconsequential things but tells the truth about what he intends to do and then remarkably follows through as best he can on most.
BTW… I didn’t mean to imply that you implied anything. Nor did or do I imply that what you did not imply is not, by implication invalid. 😀
Just putting in my two cents worth. I question (actually reject) the whole “they may be bastards but they are our bastards” and “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” concept of foreign policy except in extreme cases (like World Wars 1 and 2).
I am not quite sure that our foreign policy of cozing up to Saudi despots is a good or effective policy. Sucking up is worse. (Such as Bush hugs and Obama kowtows.)
Saudi is as bad as Iran, Syria and every other dirt bag Islamic dictatorship when it comes to stirring up ****. The Middle East is as bad a depraved wreck as it Mexico and South America (save Chile which has somewhat come to its senses).
I am not saying disengage completely, but sometimes we should back off those hell holes and let them self destruct. We should NOT let ourselves become tools of their stupid religious feuds and proxy wars.
Another view from the National Review.
The nature of the Riyadh regime is no mystery, and there is no use pretending otherwise. Saudi Arabia is a religious dictatorship in hock to fundamentalist Islamic clerics. It has a long history of brutal and repressive measures aimed at solidifying its rule.
Don’t Believe the Saudi Lies
This has been the case. However the more radical elements have also been targeted for eradication of late. It’s been made clear to ME nations…rid the world of terrorist elements.
Can they be trusted. Probably not but they can be incentivized. Leverage can be applied. And elements among the people that truly want to live free can be given support, even if only by pronouncements.
Pathetic.
Psychotic.
🙂
What is that little square with 01F 542 in it? My old browser is failing?