Mattis condemns Khashoggi killing
MANAMA, BAHRAIN >> U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis condemned the killing of Washington Post contributor and Saudi government critic Jamal Khashoggi as intolerable, minutes before Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, at the same venue, characterized the global reaction to the slaying as hysterical.
Mattis suggested the killing threatened to undermine stability in the Middle East, his first substantive comments on the matter. The defense secretary made the remarks at a security conference in the island kingdom of Bahrain, across the bridge from Saudi Arabia, minutes before Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir took to the stage and said people were jumping to conclusions before the investigation was completed.
Mattis reiterated President Donald Trump’s vow to get to the bottom of what happened to Khashoggi, who disappeared at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be taking unspecified “additional measures” in response to the killing beyond the revocation of U.S. visas for certain Saudi suspects. Above all, Mattis characterized the matter as not only a human rights issue but also a national security concern for nations in the Middle East.
“When opposing voices can be heard within a political process adapted to each nation’s culture, one that permits peaceful opposition by giving voice and human rights to all, a nation becomes more secure,” Mattis said.
“When people can speak and be heard calling for peace and respect for all, the terrorist message of hatred and violence is not embraced. With our collective interests in peace and unwavering respect for human rights in mind, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly.”
Without calling out Saudi Arabia by name, Mattis suggested Khashoggi’s death threatened instability in the Middle East at a time when the region can’t afford it. The Middle East is struggling to cope with brutal conflicts in Syria and Yemen, a political divide between Gulf nations and Qatar and what Mattis described as malign activity from Iran emanating across the region.
“Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most,” Mattis said.
Saudi Arabia is not only the biggest importer of American arms but a critical partner in the Trump administration’s Middle East agenda, which includes stabilizing Syria, brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, pushing back against Iranian influence, finishing off the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and bringing an end to the war in Yemen.
Mattis made the comments moments before Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, took to the same stage and criticized what he described as “hysteria” over Khashoggi’s killing.
“This issue has become fairly hysterical,” Jubeir said. “I think people have assigned blame on Saudi Arabia with such certainty before the investigation is complete. We have made it clear that we are going to have a full and transparent investigation, the results of which will be released.”