Envoy says stable Saudi Arabia needed amid Khashoggi probe

Canadian and global foreign policy towards Saudi Arabia can’t be driven by revulsion over the treatment of individual human rights cases, Canada’s most recent ambassador to the country says.

Dennis Horak, who was expelled from Saudi Arabia in August after its rulers were incensed by a tweet from Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, essentially branded the desert kingdom too big to fail.

“Whether we like it or not, the world needs Saudi Arabia … if Saudi Arabia were to descend into the kind of chaos that’s potentially there, it would make Syria look like a picnic,” Horak told a Tuesday night meeting of the Canadian International Council in Ottawa.

“We need a stable Saudi Arabia, as imperfect as it might be.” Horak, who is no fan of Twitter diplomacy, said Freeland’s tweet was “ill-advised” but the Saudi reaction was “way over the top.” Saudi Arabia abruptly severed relations with Canada and demanded an apology after Freeland called for the immediate release of detained activists, including Samar Badawi, a champion of women’s rights and the sister of detained blogger Raif Badawi. On Tuesday, Freeland joined G7 foreign ministers in affirming freedom of the press and calling on Saudi Arabia to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

But Horak, a veteran diplomat, said Canadian foreign policy can’t be dictated by cases like Badawi’s - whose wife lives in Quebec - or Khashoggi’s, whose disappearance has sparked global outrage. “Those who know me, know I’m not this cold-hearted,” said Horak.

“But you can’t let your foreign policy be dictated by an individual or an individual case. There are broader interests that need to be there. It doesn’t mean you ignore them. It doesn’t mean you forget about them.”

Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and a U.S. resident, has written critically of the Saudi regime. He hasn’t been seen since entering that country’s consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago, and multiple leaks to U.S. media, based on Turkish intelligence, say he was killed by a Saudi hit squad and likely dismembered with a bone saw.