What’s one little murder between trading partners?
THEY say anything in America can be bought. Whether it be justice (ask OJ), citizenship, or driving solo in a carpool lane, nothing is off limits. However, now under the leadership of Donald Trump, the entire country has just been sold – sold out.
Despite overwhelming evidence, a constant string of lies and the CIA’s conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death, the US leader has said he stands by Saudi Arabia.
Ever since the brutal murder inside the Middle East country’s consulate in Istanbul last month, the White House has been struggling to accept the universal belief of who was behind the killing.
But despite recordings capturing Khashoggi’s last moments and his own intelligence agency’s report, Trump on
Tuesday declared his unswerving loyalty to Saudi Arabia.
The CIA has determined bin Salman not only knew about the killing, but he ordered it. For the agency’s ultimate boss it was still not enough.
In an exclamation pointfilled formal Presidential statement, Trump said: “Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi.”
Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t? This from a President of the United States.
Can you imagine if he had been in charge on December 7, 1941?
“Emperor Hirohito and I have a great relationship. I really like him, and I think he really likes me. Sure, something happened at Pearl Harbour. Maybe the Japanese bombed it... but maybe they didn’t.”
Trump went further in his defence of the Saudis.
“In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran. The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region.”
With his extraordinary words, Trump was full of grandiose praise of himself as the world looked on in stunned belief.
He showed that it was payments, not punishment that drove his thinking after bragging about a £352 billion deal between the two countries following his “heavily negotiated” trip to Saudi Arabia last year.
“This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States,” he boasted.
“If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries – and very happy to acquire all of this new-found business. It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States!”
Trump’s insistence of not taking substantive action against the Saudis came just days after the President admitted he had not listened to an audio tape provided by the Turkish government of Khashoggi’s murder, because it was too gruesome.
So his decision not to take action against the Saudis is not entirely unexpected.
By definition, it’s a decision not based on morality but on money, and it would have been insane to expect Trump to consider anything else, given he has no moral compass with which to be guided.
It was ironic Trump should issue his statement shortly before he took part in the annual White House Thanksgiving turkey pardoning.
The real turkey in all of this is the President himself with the only actual pardon being that to a brutal, corrupt regime who lied and lied again about their involvement in a state-sanctioned murder.