The missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has caused world leaders to focus on not only the role Saudi Arabia may have played in his disappearance but also its role in the Yemeni civil war. The missing Saudi journalist (a U.S. resident) is apparently the victim of a political assassination of the sort that occurs much too frequently throughout the Middle East and the world, e.g., Iran, Pakistan, Russia, China, et al. No journalists should be subjected to threats of intimidation or threats on their life, much less murder for expressing political opposition. Saudi Arabia must be required to make a full accounting for the disappearance of Khashoggi. Should the evidence show that Saudi individuals, perhaps even the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, were responsible for Khashoggi’s disappearance and possible murder, they must pay a price imposed either by the Saudi government—or the U.S. government.
While we have many shared interests with Saudi Arabia, we do not have shared values in most cases. In that sense, not only the treatment of journalists critical of the regime, but also the denial of women’s, minority, and non-Muslims’ rights as mandated by the Qur’an and shariah are prime examples. Our primary shared interests clearly involve preventing the expansion and dominance of Iranian terror-linked influence throughout the Middle East. Further, regime change in Tehran is also a vital shared interest both for U.S. national security interests and those of our Israeli ally and other partners in the region.
The views expressed in CCNS member articles are not necessarily the views or positions of the entire CCNS. They are the views of the authors, who are members of the CCNS.
