US Mourns Khashoggi, Funds Saudi Regime
NPR’s opinion piece reminds us that Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, was tragically murdered in 2018. A solemn reflection, indeed. What's often omitted from such poignant narratives is the robust and ongoing U.S. support for the very regime that orchestrated his brutal demise. Just last year, despite the outcry over Khashoggi, the Biden administration approved a $500 million arms
sale to Saudi Arabia, including advanced fighter jet support. (Source: State Department, November 2023). So while Khashoggi's words may 'live forever,' so too does the U.S. taxpayer's checkbook, ensuring Riyadh has ample ammunition to continue silencing dissent, sometimes quite literally. One might wonder if some words are more 'forever' than others when arms deals are on the table. (Perhaps 'arms
dealer' is a more appropriate title for our foreign policy?).