Joe promises new action on Saudis
President Biden on Saturday promised fresh action on Saudi Arabia after the release of an intelligence report that that blamed Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
But Biden dodged questions about whether he would move to punish the powerful Saudi leader over the brazen torture murder carried out by Saudi agents that U.S. intelligence says bin Salman ordered.
“There will be an announcement on Monday as to what we are going to be doing with Saudi Arabia generally,” Biden said in answer to reporters’ shouted questions as he left the White House for a trip to Wilmington, Del.
The Biden administration Friday released the declassified report that fingered MBS in the shocking 2018 dismemberment murder of Khashoggi by a team of trained Saudi killers.
The White House announced measures against dozens of Saudi
officials in response to the report, but took no direct action to punish the powerful de facto ruler of the kingdom.
Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the Saudi regime, was lured to his death inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey.
How the Saudis killed Khashoggi is unclear. Turkish prosecutors say he was suffocated, while the Saudis say he died of a drug overdose. By most accounts, Khashoggi’s body was dismembered. His remains have not been found.
Biden has vowed a tougher line on the Saudis after the absolute monarchy enjoyed four years of cozy ties with former President Donald Trump.
But Biden faces problems if he pushes back too hard against a key American ally in the fractious and oil-rich Middle East.