Thursday, October 18, 2018

Why Did the Saudis Want Jamal Khashoggi Dismembered?



With every passing day what the mad prince of Saudi Arabia had happen to Jamal Khashoggi becomes more depraved and more gruesome. 

Leaving a horrified world to wonder what Khashoggi had done to have his fingers severed, his head sawn off, and his body cut into little pieces.

And in my opinion the answer can be found buried in the last article he ever wrote.



An op-ed piece that the Washington Post published yesterday. 

The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power. During the Cold War, Radio Free Europe, which grew over the years into a critical institution, played an important role in fostering and sustaining the hope of freedom. Arabs need something similar.

For while Khashoggi couldn't be gentler on Saudi Arabia, a country he loved. And although he never mentions the name of Mohammed bin Salman.

I'm pretty sure it was this that led the mad prince to demand that the gentle writer have his fingers cut off and his body dismembered.

My publication, The Post, has taken the initiative to translate many of my pieces and publish them in Arabic. For that, I am grateful. Arabs need to read in their own language so they can understand and discuss the various aspects and complications of democracy in the United States and the West.

For it reminds me of the reason the Saudi barbarians declared war on Canada.

Not for putting out this tweet:



But for putting out this tweet three days later:



And by so doing crossing Saudi Arabia's red line.

For years, Canadian pressure on human rights in Saudi Arabia had elicited no more than a standard rejection. But all that changed last week, when a Canadian complaint was translated into Arabic and set off a diplomatic row.

The reaction from Saudi Arabia was swift. Hours after the Arabic tweet, the Saudi government recalled its ambassador, barred Canada’s envoy from returning and placed a ban on new trade.

For if the mad prince could react like that to a mere tweet from Canada, imagine how he must have felt about whole articles in Arabic from a former palace insider.

Especially at a time when Donald Trump had emboldened him.



The outsized reaction to the tweet underscores how the kingdom is taking a much harsher stance against what it perceives as Western interference in its internal affairs on issues like human rights, perhaps emboldened by Washington’s willingness under Donald Trump to de-emphasize rights issues when it comes to its allies.

Which can only make me wonder whether Andrew Scheer's refusal to support his own government also emboldened the Saudis, and also made them think they could get away with anything.

For it was a disgraceful example of submission to evil...



For crass political purposes.

But at least now we know this:

Mohammed bin Salman is no reformer, just a bloodthirsty maniac.

Jamal Khashoggi was a gentle hero who will long be remembered.

And Andrew Scheer, who has yet to condemn the Saudis, is a coward who should never be Prime Minister...



15 comments:

rumleyfips said...

Now we see the Freeland was right and wee andy was wrong. He's just another pathetic wanabee grovelling at the foot of Saudi oil money.

Anonymous said...

My theory is that with all of Trump's attacks on the media, MBS figured he would give him a pass on murdering a journalist and it's certainly looking that way right now.
As well, given Trump's penchant for cozying up to these murderous tyrants, it would not surprise me at all if he approved such a thing as a way of sending a message to journalists around the world. One need only to look at how the orange oaf reacts when someone dares to criticize him.
JD

Steve said...

Khashoggi carried more baggage than Heathrow at Christmas. Why was Khasoggi killed? The motive is perhaps the most perplexing part of this mystery. If it was over a simple tweet, wow! Now that it has happened it seems the chequebook is open. Already a $100 million for refugee freedom fighters in Syria. Erdogan must not have gotten what he wants because the leaks keep dripping. Has anyone else noticed he has a name out of Lord of the Rings, and is a character out of Game of Thrones.

Anonymous said...

Its obvious that Trump and his outlaw son can't tell the difference between a fellow narcissistic oligarch and a psychopath. Its not the first time the US has had them do their bidding but underneath the political moralistic gloss there was a patriotic belief that it benefited the homeland. Now its just all about personal power and monetary gain. Nero lines his pockets while Rome burns.
RT

Steve said...

Have you not been watching Game of Thrones or House of Cards? All of our heros are psychopaths in fiction. In reality family men who love folks.

Steve said...

Every President since FDR has sucked on Saudi Oil.

Anonymous said...

Sucking on Saudi oil is one thing but selling out the homeland for a wad of cash and a few magic beans is another.
RT

Jackie Blue said...

Freeland was a journalist prior to entering politics too. Putin hates her for exposing the money men behind the Kremlin, and Mohammad Bone Sawman (as he's being referred to on social media) obviously doesn't like her for calling out his barbarity either -- and being a WOMAN to commit the unacceptable crime of lèse-majesté.

Trump probably isn't aware of Freeland's career or is too stupid to read or care. He's just a misogynistic thug who doesn't like any women who don't defer to him, but since he follows in lockstep with the sword-wagglers and his Russian puppeteer, obviously he's never had much good to say about Freeland either. Not to mention the fact that she's basically Trudeau's deputy second-in-command whose name is often floated as a potential successor, and Trump has his own stupid, petty and indeed superficial reasons for making a WWE-style personal rivalry with Trudeau.

The wild card for Canada is Harper's IDU, his "associates" like Baird, and Scheer's iteration of Harper's party, whose murky ties to the Saudi and, probably, Russian oiligarchs are as deep as their abiding hatred of Trudeau and everyone in his circle. Especially Freeland, and for all the same reasons as the other dirty rich men in their old boys (or Proud Boys) club.

I hope she, and Daniel Dale of the Toronto Star as well, have people watching out for them. There are sharks in the water, vultures circling the Hill, and snakes in the backyard.

e.a.f. said...

Why was Mr. Khashoggi dismembered? its easier to get rid of the body that way. You can drop the pieces all over town and no one will notice.

They are also scattering his body to the winds. His body will not be whole. It was also part of the message Saudi Arabia was sending. Not only will we kill you, will ensure they don't find your body.

The cutting off of the fingers, was most likely done to punish Mr. Khashoggi. While they were doing it they most likely told him, he would never be using them again to type things which were critical of the royal family. I'm sure it made the desired effect on those who write articles critical of the Saudi Royal family.

Why they did what they did? Because they could. Its why evil things are done, because people can get away with it and they know it. Given dtrump's rants about the "enemy of the people" being journalists, his other actions, the SAudi's knew they could get away with this and they have. it was just another test run. I expect the next thing to happen is the killing of an American journalist on American soil. The Americans have caged children, suppressed voting for First Nations, people of colour, etc. All has been gotten away with, so this is the next step, they just decided to do it over seas first. None of what is going on, in my opinion, is happening in a vacumn

Simon said...

Hi rumleyfips...yes, Freeland was right, and so was Canada, but the ugly Andrew Scheer will never admit it. I wish our media would put some pressure on him to issue a statement or an apology, but as you and I both know that will never happen....

Simon said...

Hi JD...you're right. Trump enabled a maniac, allowed him to kidnap the Prime Minister of Lebanon, rain down death on Yemen, imprison his relatives and shake them down for money, and thanks to his oil billions get away with murder. I don't know if Trump knew about the Khashoggi plan, but if the maniac prince had been restrained I'm sure that poor journalist would still be alive. One more sorry chapter in a horror show that never should have happened...

Simon said...

Hi Steve...as I said in my post, I think he was killed because his articles were translated into Arabic, and could be read not only by people in Saudi Arabia but also those in neighbouring countries. That alone was enough to trigger the prince and should be reason enough to have him removed from power. The only problem is that the King suffers from dementia and can only concentrate on anything for about two minutes. This has civil war written all over it...

Simon said...

Hi RT...everybody has been lamenting for years that Trump seems to have a special attraction for strongmen and dictators. So nobody should be surprised that one of them would do something monstrous, and that Trump should seek to play down his crimes so as not to jeopardize all his billions. They're going to have to disinfect the White House as soon as Trump is evicted...

Simon said...

Hi Jackie...yes, I'm sure Putin and Mohammed Bone Sawman must have a real hate on for Freeland, as well as Canada. And I fear what dirty stuff they might try in the run up to the next election. Trump has helped turn the world into a jungle, where anything is possible. And I'm sure that both the Saudis and the Russians would both love to see Weak Andy become Prime Minister...

Simon said...

Hi e.a.f....I think that cutting off Khasoggi's fingers possibly when he was still alive was the message the maniac Prince wanted to send to all those who dare criticize him. It's something you might expect from the mob, and for that alone the prince should be deposed...