The 633-word statement of President Donald Trump on the Saudi royals’ role in the grisly murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi is a remarkable document, not only for its ice-cold candor. The president re-raises a question that has roiled the nation since Jimmy Carter: To what degree should we allow idealistic values trump vital…
Against the advise from his intelligence services U.S. President Trump decided to leave the effective Saudi ruler, clown prince Mohammad bin Salman, in place. That move is unlikely to help with his larger policy plans. Bruce Riedel, a (former) high level CIA analyst, long warned of betting on Mohammad bin Salman. Even before the murder of Jamal…
Who ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi? “The CIA and the White House are at odds over who’s responsible for what happened.” (See Stephen Lendman). According to media reports, Langley is pointing its finger at Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS). Prior to the official release of the CIA report, the Washington Post (16 November) reported that…
It’s hard remembering when the assassination of anyone, other than a key head of state, aroused as much international furor that won’t die as Khashoggi’s murder. His elimination remains a headlined story over seven weeks since the October 2 incident. The CIA and White House are at odds over who’s responsible for what happened. Langley’s…
Increasingly, it appears that in a rerun of late 2014, OPEC has lost control of the oil market. According to a Bloomberg Op-Ed, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, President Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin are the three people that will steer the outcome of oil prices in the coming year, whether higher or lower. The problem…
There never was any doubt about it all along. No one dares circumvent Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman’s (MbS) authority over most everyone. Doing it risks ending up like Khashoggi. That’s how all despotic regimes operate. Iron-fisted rule tolerates no one operating ad libitum. MbS is de facto Saudi ruler. What he says goes…
