For decades, the U.S. has regarded Saudi Arabia as one of its strongest allies in the Middle East.
Despite the nation’s long list of human rights abuses, its support for Wahabbism — an extremist branch of Islam — and its involvement in 9/11, Saudi Arabia remains a close ally.
The Kingdom recently came under fire for the sudden disappearance of Washington Post columnist and former Saudi intelligence adviser Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi, who became a vocal critic of the Saudi government for its human rights abuses, was a prime target for a lethal demonstration of Saudi power.
He was abducted, beaten and tortured by Saudi operatives at the Saudi consulate in Turkey while attempting to obtain divorce papers.
Saudi officials changed their story about his disappearance and murder at least four times.
First, he was alive; then he died while being interrogated; then he died in a fistfight. Now, Khashoggi’s death was premeditated, unbeknownst to the Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia has changed its explanation so many times the nation’s leaders lack credibility.
The Kingdom’s abuses are already well-documented.
Torturing political dissidents, abusing women and starving Yemeni civilians are only a few of the nation’s crimes on an endless list.
Khashoggi’s murder is just the latest entry.
The Kingdom’s actions should come to no surprise. Human rights groups chastised the nation’s officials countless times.
As usual, U.S. officials are falling behind, choosing to ally with a regime run by extremists.
President Donald Trump’s stance is no different. Despite its gaping holes, he accepted Saudi’s explanation that Khashoggi died in a fistfight and refused to sanction the country.
“Saudi Arabia has been a great ally of ours,” Trump initially said in an Oct. 19 interview.
The president then changed his tone, calling the Kingdom’s explanation “the worst cover-up ever.” He warned the Saudi government would face severe consequences if bin Salman was responsible.
But the president’s shift in tone is still unconvincing.
Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner said the U.S. will continue to regard Saudi Arabia an ally after the nation’s officials admitted Khashoggi was killed.
Clearly, the Trump administration is willing to disregard the Kingdom’s involvement in Khashoggi’s death.
Saudi Arabia is a key player to ward off Iran, the boogeyman Trump considers more threatening than Saudi extremism.
Saudi arms deals are precious business, too. The nation is one of the U.S.’s highest-paying buyers of U.S. weapons.
To Trump, arms deals are too important to risk because they create jobs.
Those weapons sales also sow death and destruction. The Kingdom uses U.S. bombs to kill Yemeni civilians.
The U.K. based newspaper the Independent reports 56,000 killed since 2016.
Despite atrocities, war crimes and humanitarian disasters, the U.S. continues to supply the Saudi regime with weapons.
Not even the Kingdom’s support for international jihadists, including American enemies Al Queda and the Islamic State could dampen the U.S. appetite for juicy arms deals.
No matter how masochistic the friendship, the U.S. continues to regard Saudi Arabia a good ally.
Khashoggi’s murder, along with the Kingdom’s abusive history, should serve as stark reminders about the value of freedom.
Democracy should always remain more important than oil and blood money.
While the U.S. government has a history of supporting authoritarian rulers and continues to disgrace itself over Saudi affairs, the American people should be able to see through the facade.
U.S. leadership should not be allowed to pay lip service to the promise of democracy while hypocritically supporting authoritarian regimes any longer.
The American public should pressure its leaders to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia and pressure the country to adopt a democratic government.
Saudi Arabia can never be a true ally until the nation sees true democracy.
