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
-
The Axis of Upheaval
Commentary
The West has been too quick to dismiss the coordination among China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Richard Fontaine
-
Iran ‘minimizing impact’ of Israeli strike: analyst
Video
ranian media reported explosions, but an Iranian official told Reuters those were caused by air defense systems. State media said three drones over the central city of Isfahan...
By Jonathan Lord
-
Proxy battles: Iraq, Iran, and the turmoil in the Middle East
Commentary
Since Hamas’s attacks sparked the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, a dangerous cycle of escalation has played out across the Middle East. Iran and its proxies – such as the Hout...
By Hamzeh Hadad
-
Blaise Misztal and Jonathan Lord on U.S. Ceasefire Push in Israel-Hamas War
Video
Blaise Misztal of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and Jonathan Lord from the Center for a New American Security talked about the new push by the U.S. for...
By Jonathan Lord
