Khashoggi case may awaken world to dangers of MBS

By M.A. Saki

Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the al-Saud family, vanished on October 2 after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

A Turkish security source has said officials had audio and video evidence proving Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate.

The issue surrounding the fate of Khashoggi is also scandalous for those countries, especially the United States, which have been backing the Saudi kingdom especially its current ruler Mohammed bin Salman or MBS.
  
Saudi Arabia has been silencing the world, especially the self-proclaimed proponents of human rights in the West, through its lavish arms purchases and bribes. 

For example, Donald Trump has ruled out halting military contracts with Saudi Arabia in response to the disappearance of Khashoggi, who wrote for the Washington Post.

“I think we’d be punishing ourselves if we did that,” Trump said, according to the BBC. He said, “If they don’t buy it from us, they're going to buy it from Russia or... China.”

Even now analysts are worried that Saudi Arabia may tempt countries and political figures who are seeking answers about the fate of the journalist.  

According to CNN, MBS has contacted the White House after it became clear that he and the royal court were getting blamed for Khashoggi’s murder. Citing a person familiar with the call, CNN said MBS asked specifically to speak with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, to deny the accusations. 

This may be a sign that Saudi Arabia is trying to lure the U.S. through more arms purchases not to pursue the issue.  

Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia who teaches at George Washington University, tells the Tehran Times that “if this is what happened, then it had to be ordered and sanctioned by MBS.”

The Khashoggi case is just the tip of iceberg in comparison to numerous brutal and vicious acts that Saudi Arabia has been doing over the years. When Saudi Arabia exterminates a critic in consulate in a foreign country then it should be noted how it will deal with critics inside the country. 

The butchery of children in Yemen with fighter jets is a concrete example of Saudi disregard for human life. The siege of the tiny state of Qatar shows that MBS is also a bully. If until now he has not ordered attacks against any other country it is because he is not sure of the consequences.

The world has been paying dearly for its negligence of Saudi Arabia’s ill behavior, just eying the country’s petrodollars. Now, hardly a part of the world is immune from the evil ideology of extremism and terrorism promoted by the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. From the September 11 attacks to the recurrent terrorist attacks in Syria and Afghanistan are mostly the result of the Wahhabi ideology originating from Saudi Arabia.

It is hoped the Khashoggi case will awaken the world to the dangers of Saudi Arabia, especially under MBS.