US Recasts Khashoggi Murder: 'Deals Happen'
The Financial Times notes Trump's casual dismissal of Jamal Khashoggi's grisly murder—'things happen'—just as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) arrives with promises of '$1tn investment.' This isn't just diplomatic amnesia; it's a playbook authored by decades of ignoring human rights for petrodollars. Rewind to October 2, 2018: Khashoggi enters the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and is
subsequently dismembered by operatives linked directly to MBS, according to a declassified U.S. intelligence report. Yet, here we are, watching a former U.S. President whitewash state-sanctioned assassination for a trade agreement. How many 'things' have to 'happen' before a spine emerges in Western foreign policy? This isn't about isolated incidents; it's a systemic pattern where economic
incentives consistently trump moral imperatives. The same political class that wrings its hands over alleged international law violations elsewhere suddenly finds its tongue tied when the coffers jingle. It's almost as if 'values' are merely talking points, easily discarded when substantial deals are on the table. One might wonder: whose interests are truly being served when 'justice' is traded
for a new defense contract?