Senate Resolution Blames MBS for Khashoggi's Murder

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Following CIA director Gina Haspel's briefing of GOP and undemocratic Dem Senate leaders, they unanimously agreed about Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman's (MBS) responsibility for ordering Jamal Khashoggi's murder.

There never was any doubt about it. For decades, kingdom ruling authorities have gone all-out to eliminate dissidents at home and abroad, MBS reportedly more aggressive than earlier.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker said Haspel's revelations left "zero doubt" in his mind about MBS' responsibility for killing Khashoggi, adding:

"If he was in front of a jury, he would be convicted in 30 minutes. Guilty!" Lindsey Graham is set to succeed Corker as Foreign Relations Committee chairman when the new Congress convenes in January.

He minced no words, saying "(y)ou have to be willfully blind not to" know MBS ordered Khashoggi's murder - denouncing the crown prince as an unreliable US partner.

On Wednesday, six bipartisan senators introduced a resolution, condemning MBS for "complicit(y)" in Khashoggi's murder, Graham saying:

"This resolution — without equivocation — definitively states that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts."

The resolution contradicts Trump, Pompeo and Mattis, falsely claiming no evidence of MBS' involvement in what happened.

It states the Senate "has a high level of confidence (that MBS) was complicit in the murder" - that he "was in control of security forces" responsible for what happened. 

With bipartisan leadership support, the resolution looks virtually sure to be adopted. Though nonbinding, it puts the Senate on record, holding MBS responsible for ordering Khashoggi's assassination.

It urges the Trump regime and international community to "hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable."

It hypocritically condemns Saudi involvement in Washington's longstanding Yemen war, and its internal human rights abuses ignored by the US and world community from at least the FDR era until now.

In late November, Senate members advanced a proposal to end US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen - a war planned, orchestrated, and launched by Bush/Cheney in October 2001 – weeks after 9/11 and naked aggression in Afghanistan.

Make no mistake. Yemen remains Washington's war. NATO member states, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other nations are US junior partners in the conflict, raging with no end of it in prospect.

As long as the US wants endless war continued, resolving it is unattainable - despite Houthis and representatives of the US-installed Yemen puppet regime  holding peace talks in Sweden.

UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths is acting as interlocutor for the talks - representatives from both sides not meeting face-to-face, conflict resolution even less likely under this arrangement.

At best, both sides may produce a preliminary agreement, signifying nothing, future talks perhaps to follow what's ongoing now.

Next week, Senate members will vote on the measure advanced in late November to end US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen - likely, though not certain, to be adopted.

It calls for "removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen (in 30 days) that have not been authorized by Congress" - with a giant loophole, exempting US forces involved in combatting al-Qaeda Washington created and supports.

It also calls on Riyadh to negotiate conflict resolution with the Houthis the US wants continued, along with ending the world's gravest humanitarian crisis Republicans and Dems don't give a hoot about.

The resolution comes at the same time that the Erdogan regime issued warrants for the arrest of key MBS aides Ahmed Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani.

Turkey's chief prosecutor said there's a "strong suspicion" that both figures were directly involved in Khashoggi's murder - among others in the kingdom close to MBS, a statement saying:

"The prosecution's move to issue arrest warrants for Asiri and Qahtani reflects the view that the Saudi authorities won't take formal action against those individuals."

It called on the kingdom to extradite them to stand trial in Turkey, a notion Riyadh clearly rejects.

Other indictments may follow. Ankara's chief prosecutor believes Qahtani and Asiri are among other high-level Saudi figures responsible for planning and carrying out Khashoggi's murder.

The October 2 incident has had a remarkably long shelf life. Clearly it appears because US and UK intelligence consider MBS reckless and untrustworthy.

They want a more reliable figure becoming Saudi king when its current monarch passes.

That's what the endless furor over Khashoggi's murder appears to be all about.

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