Opinion: Trump and money are shielding Saudi Arabia from accountability for Khashoggi’s killing
LA TimesFollowing the brutal killing of Saudi dissident and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, one year ago, the Saudi government became something of a toxic commodity in American politics. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who claimed on “Fox & Friends” to have once been Saudi Arabia’s “biggest defender on the floor of the United States Senate,” announced shortly after Khashoggi’s death that Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “has got to go.” The crown prince denies a role in Khashoggi’s death; the U.N. sees credible evidence warranting further investigation. All of this has served a critical function for the Saudi regime: maintaining enough support in Congress to ensure Trump’s vetoes aren’t overridden, which keeps the U.S. government from punishing the Saudis for Khashoggi’s death. Yet, one year after Khashoggi’s killing, and 4 ½ years into the brutal Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, Congress and the president have yet to hold Saudi Arabia accountable.