Trump Pardons MBS for Murder, Calls it 'Rewards'
Bloomberg reports on Trump’s hypothetical reception of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, noting a 'defense agreement' and absolution for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump, ever the dealmaker, previously vetoed a bipartisan congressional resolution (S.J.Res.7) in 2019 to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, largely seen as a brutal blockade. The State Department
under his administration continued arms sales, prioritizing profit over human rights concerns, effectively giving MBS a clean slate despite the CIA identifying him as complicit in Khashoggi's killing. So, 'scant rewards'? Perhaps for the American taxpayer, but for a crown prince implicated in state-sponsored murder and a relentless bombing campaign in Yemen, the absolution and cutting-edge
warplanes appear to be quite the lucrative payoff. One might wonder who Bloomberg truly believes is getting the 'warm welcome' here, and what exactly 'rewards' means in the lexicon of global power.