Trump threatened Saudi Arabia with “severe punishment” if the Saudi government was involved in the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In response, Saudis Threaten Global Economic Repercussions if Punished for ‘Murdered’ Journalist.
> “The Kingdom also affirms that if it receives any action, it will respond with greater action, and that the Kingdom’s economy has an influential and vital role in the global economy…” the source added without elaborating.
> Saudi Arabia has been under pressure since Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a U.S. resident, disappeared on October 2 after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Trump, Saudis Escalate Threats
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump, Saudis Escalate Threats
> On Sunday, Riyadh vowed to retaliate against any punitive measures from Washington and delivered a pointed reminder that the world’s top oil exporter “plays an impactful and active role in the global economy.”
> The comments came after Mr. Trump pledged to impose “severe punishment” on Riyadh if an investigation implicates the kingdom in the case of Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
> Now relations are under scrutiny, and ties between Washington and Turkey, a regional competitor to the Saudis, could be improving. Mr. Trump declared on Saturday that the U.S. is now on track to have “a terrific relationship with Turkey” after it agreed to free an American pastor, Andrew Brunson. While hosting the North Carolina pastor at the White House on Saturday, Mr. Trump repeatedly thanked Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
> The case of Mr. Khashoggi is forcing the Trump administration to recalibrate on a number of issues, from military aid to sanctions to business ties. The private sector is also adjusting. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive James Dimon will no longer attend Riyadh’s premier business conference set for later this month, bank spokesman Joe Evangelisti said Sunday.
> While the U.S. has been cautious not to make any public statements about the fate of Mr. Khashoggi while an investigation is under way, Mr. Trump said on Saturday that it is “not looking too good.” In an interview with “60 Minutes,” portions of which were broadcast Saturday, Mr. Trump said he would be “very upset and angry” if the allegations against Saudi Arabia concerning Mr. Khashoggi prove true, and vowed there would be consequences.
Everyone Wants In On the Action
The UK, France, and Germany issued a Joint Statement on the Disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
> Defending freedom of expression and a free press and ensuring the protection of journalists are key priorities for Germany, the United Kingdom and France. In this spirit, light must be shed on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose family has lost contact with him since October 2nd.
> Germany, the United Kingdom and France share the grave concern expressed by others including HRVP Mogherini and UNSG Guterres, and are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness. There needs to be a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and – if relevant – to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, and ensure that they are held to account.
Senator Durbin Opposes Saudi Arms Sale Over Missing Journalist
The Hill reports Senator Durbin Opposes Saudi Arms Sale Over Missing Journalist
> Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday that President Trump should end the United States’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia over the country’s apparent role in the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
> Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said in a statement Sunday that he spoke this weekend with Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, and told him that “he should expect a very negative response” if the country is complicit in Khashoggi’s suspected death.
> “I told Ambassador bin Salman that he should expect a very negative response from both sides of the aisle in Congress if Mr. Khashoggi was in fact kidnapped and murdered. And if that is the case, I do not believe the U.S. should continue to be party to supporting the Saudis in the bloodshed in Yemen — a halt that is long overdue given the humanitarian disaster resulting from that conflict,” Durbin said.
Yemen
Finally someone is talking about the US role in the humanitarian disaster in Yemen. But note the wishy-washiness of Durbin’s statement.
What’s with this “if that is the case” nonsense. The US should not support the war in Yemen in any case.
Oil and Political Feuds
$100 oil is just what we don’t need. But that would happen, and then some, if Saudi Arabia stopped producing in response to Trump threats.
Light Crude Futures
So far, oil reaction has been minimal. For now, Wall Street dismisses the threat.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
This service is beneficial in many ways – you can pay your bills on time and you don’t need to visit the bill payment centers and you don’t need to stay in queues for a long time.
The US and the Saudi’s want this story to go away. They’re likely laying the groundwork for some BS story whereby the Saudi’s aren’t responsible. They’ll have proof that they can’t publicly divulge for security reasons.
“But that would happen, and then some, if Saudi Arabia stopped producing in response to Trump threats.”
That would be the case of cutting your nose to spite your face! Unlikely to happen as Saudi Arabia needs the money from Oil.
Also, crude production has been interrupted on the Keystone and Forties pipelines due to leaks:
More selective indignation by the West. The US sends thousands to secret rendition camps to be tortured in foreign countries, with many deaths as a “side effect”, engages in extra judicial killing by drone bombings in scores of countries, but when the Saudi’s disappear a journalist (a terrible thing to be sure), it suddenly needs to be condemned by the world, as if “Western” values are any better. ??!!
I would rather have drone strikes than troops on the ground engaging in battle. That policy has been a big FAIL. Many more innocent lives are sacrificed that way. I would bet most of the thousands that you also claim are sent to secret rendition camps are muslim extremists capable of and desiring to inflict massive casualties on innocent people. So all the bleeding hearts should look at the other side of the story. . The alternative is to not get involved and allow them to kill us. Then I am sure your solution to that would be to outlaw guns.
The alternative, the only alternative in a free country, is rifles (and whatever else is needed/wanted) behind every blade of grass. Not peashooters in the hands of those who can obtain “permits” from some totalitarian Junta, and unlimited bomb making budgets for Gitmo prison guards and tax feeding bomb crater builders.
Also the Saudis murder many of their own innocent citizens at home. Many times for things like marital infidelity, women driving, and a lot of other stupid shit. NPR had a documentary of Saudi Arabia and in their public education system they are taught that infidels like Christians and Jews need to be executed. With friends like that who need enemies. I am sure their cash has a lot to do with our govt allegiance with them. We have the best govt money can buy
Every country has the “best government money can buy.” We, the Saudis, the Swedes and the Venezuelans. The interesting, and important, insight, is that even the best possible government, is still infinitely worse than no government. Then, we’ll have the best nothing that money can buy. Which is quite an improvement on the totalitarian Juntas both we and the Saudis are stuck with today.
But as long as every countrys population remain a forever pliable and indoctrinated bunch of dunces suckered into uncritically believing that their particular Junta, their particular Caudillo, and their particular “system,” is somehow bestester and justester than all the other Juntas, caudillos and systems that are in reality all the same, nothing will ever change.
Now THIS is entertainment. Kudos to the Turks for giving the world ammo to confront the fell House of Saud. Wahhabism needs to go the way of the dodo and so far MbS is enough of a loose cannon that his rule may finally do them in.
Between kidnapping billionaires and beating them for money to purposely starving kids in Yemen to murdering dissidents wherever they feel like it, even the “see no evil” West may have no choice but to take action.
I think the cut in oil by the Saudis will be short lived. It will hurt them and help us. $100 oil will make the US frackers go full bore and Elon Musk will wet his pants for joy. It will be interesting to see what the world and the US response is vs the Russian incident in England. The Saudis need the rest of the world not the other way around. Their rhetoric is so typical of Arabs I am surprised they didn’t threat to come over and cut our heads and fingers off. To much inbreeding over there. Like hyper inbred dogs.