The First Anniversary Of The Murder Of Kamal Khashoggi

There is a special section containing 11 columns in today's (October 2, 2019) Washington Post on the first anniversary of the murder of its former columnist from Saudi Arabia, Kamal Khashoggi.  I shall quote from some of these columns.

From "Khashoggi's horrifying final seconds" by David Ignatius:

"The authorization to kill Khashoggi, if that became necessary, came in a second order, from [Saud] Qahtani." [a top aide to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aka "MbS"]

"What does Qahtani say about whether the crown prince authorized these actions? ... we can be guided by a  Twitter message Qahtani sent back in August 2017 when questioned about his activities: 'I am a trustworthy employee who carries out the orders of his boss."

From "Let the world hear his last words, in Arabic" by Karen Attiah:

[quoting Columbia University professor Hamid Dabashi]: "How does one scream in Arabic?" He wrote that Jamal's last words were not in Arabic or any particular language, but rather "were the primordial cries od a people from one end of the Arab and Muslim world to the next, maligned and brutalised by a system of tyrannical abuse."

From "Why we won't forget the horror of Jamal's murder" by Fred Ryan:

"...it will prove hard to forget the administration's unexplained snub of the CIA, the United Nations and Congress. Although the CIA's investigation, concluded with high confidence that [Crown Prince] Mohammed [bin Salman] ordered Jamal's killing, the agency's experts were ignored. The U.N. special rapporteur investigating the case declared that the United States is allowing itself 'to be made complicit in what is, by all appearances, a miscarriage of justice and called on the FBI to probe further. No action on the bureau's part has been announced."

From "We need justice for Yemen - and justice for l" by Tawkkol Karman:

"In my last meeting with Jamal, in Istanbul two months before his death, we agreed to make a joint effort to stop the war under the slogan 'Stop the war, stop the coup, stop the hunger.' I will not forget his words to me that day: 'I will help you with all I can, if not for Yemen, then for my country, Saudi Arabia, which has lost so much because of the war economically and morally."

From "How a crime has changed global affairs" by Asli Aydintasbas:

"But the real story is not about Saudi brutality; it is about the mealy-mouthed response from the West. What was truly shocking about the incident was the Western acquiescence to it."

From "Jamal Khashoggi's enduring truths," main editorial probably by Fred Hiatt:

"Mohammed bin Salman's policies are carrying him toward a dead end - maybe even a precipitous crash. Mr. Trump, mired in scandal and preoccupied with his reelection campaign, is unlikely to do much to help him. The crown prince might still rescue himself, but only if he finally heeds the advice Khashoggi offered him.  Release female activists and other political prisoners and punish those who tortutred them; end the war in Yemen; allow peaceful critics like Khashoggi to come home and speak freely.  Last but not least, the crown prince should stop offering half-truths and accept full responsibility for ordering the murder."

From "Saudi Arabia's dangerous monarchy" by Hala al'Dosari:

"The leadership has turned the capacity and skills of high-ranking officials, including consular staff and journalists, into tools of oppression. The media has beenfeeding ultranationalist sentiments to justify its domestic and foreign policy failures. No public discourse exists on critical issues, including the war in Yemen, the Saudi-led boycott of Qatar, or the enduring challenges of unemployment and poverty - let alone discussion on the trial of Jamal's killer or justice for political prisoners."

"The Saudi monarchy might claim to be forward-thinking with its Vision 2030 modernization plan and efforts to court Western leaders.  In reality, however, it has simply institutionalized a centuries-old monarchic legacy of violence, disenfeanchisement, and repression.  Jamal's murder and the torture of female activists have brought this to light."

Barkley Rosser