The Biden administration is defending its decision to not sanction Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his potential connection with the murder of dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
Instead, the administration sanctioned the “network” responsible, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday, including Saudi Arabia’s rapid intervention force and a former intelligence official.
“This is a crucial step because it structurally addresses an unacceptable pattern of targeting, monitoring, harassment and threats to dissidents and journalists,” Psaki told reporters at the daily press briefing. “Our national security team believes this going after the network responsible for these actions is the best way to prevent a crime like this from ever happening again.”
Psaki noted the latest actions are merely “a series of strong steps” to “recalibrate” the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and she did not rule out sanctioning the crown prince in the future.
“We are going to hold them accountable,” Psaki said. “We are going to take steps. We are not going to hold back on making clear where actions are unacceptable, where there needs to be a change and reforms put in place, while also recognizing that there are areas we need to continue to work together on because they’re in the interest of the United States and our own security.”
A declassified U.S. intelligence report found the crown prince approved the plot to “capture and kill” Khashoggi in Turkey, and Democrats have called on President Joe Biden to sanction the crown prince.
“The Biden Administration should explore ways to ensure the repercussions for the brutal murder of Mr. Khashoggi go beyond those who carried it out, to the one who ordered it — the crown prince himself,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement Friday.
“He has blood on his hands and that blood belonged to an American resident and journalist. The president should not meet with the crown prince, or talk with him, and the administration should consider sanctions on assets in the Saudi Public Investment Fund he controls that have any link to the crime.”
Source: Newmax
