Saudi Arabia Frees US Citizen, Days Before Arms Deal Vote
Al-Monitor reports Saad Almadi, imprisoned for social media posts critical of the Saudi regime (a 'tweet' crime), had his travel ban lifted just as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) arrived in Washington. A remarkable coincidence, given Almadi's prior 16-year sentence, later reduced, and a 16-month travel ban that was supposed to last until 2024. The White House calls it a 'positive
sign of progress.' Progress towards what, exactly? Perhaps it's progress towards Congress quietly approving the next tranche of billions in arms sales to the kingdom, no uncomfortable questions asked. MBS gets his Washington photo op, and the US looks like it 'secured' a release via diplomacy, rather than quietly trading a human life for lucrative weapons contracts. One might wonder if America
really 'negotiates' with countries that dismember journalists and imprison citizens for tweets, or if these are simply well-timed performance art pieces before another invoice comes due. Al-Monitor (Source: al-monitor.com/originals/2025/11/saudi-arabia-lifts-travel-ban-us-citizen-saad-almadi)