December 04, 2018
To punish the Saudis, protect the Jamal Khashoggis still at work
Senate leaders who emerged from a closed-door briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel on Tuesday were unequivocal: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was directly involved in the murder of Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 2 at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The debate between Congress and the Trump administration will now intensify over various potential forms of retaliation against Riyadh, such as targeted sanctions and limiting military assistance.
But one straightforward response to this appalling crime should be undertaken immediately: increasing U.S. support for the world’s remaining Jamal Khashoggis — namely, the courageous but increasingly embattled Arab journalists, academics, rights activists and public intellectuals who risk their lives in pursuit of a better Middle East.
There are hundreds such individuals in the Middle East today who seek to expose corruption and advocate fundamental liberties such as exercising freedom of expression. They persist despite intensified threats directed against not only them but also their loved ones. Some have been driven into exile, as Khashoggi was, but even abroad, many continue to be targeted.
The United States can do a great deal more to help and protect these people.
Read the full article in The Washington Post.
More from CNAS
-
Discussing Turkey’s Offensive Against the Kurds in Syria with Nick Heras
Podcast
The United States’ withdrawal and the Turkish military’s incursion into the Kurdish-controlled northeast have completely changed the balance of power in Syria. Without America...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Nicholas Heras
-
The Nonintervention Delusion
Commentary
Richard Fontaine addresses the most frequently expressed concerns about U.S. military interventions and concludes that the use of military force will remain a key component of...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Kaleigh Thomas on Trump's withdrawal from Syria
Video
Middle East security expert Kaleigh Thomas discusses the aftermath of President Trump withdrawing from Syria. Listen to the full conversation and more in CTV News....
By Kaleigh Thomas
-
Kaleigh Thomas on the Syrian conflict
Video
Middle East security expert Kaleigh Thomas discusses the latest on the Syrian-Turkish conflict. Listen to the full conversation and more on CTV News....
By Kaleigh Thomas
