November 1, 2018

US-Saudi Relations

Editor's note: here's Annafi's op-ed published yesterday critiquing NBC's decision to fire Megyn Kelly. Please share far and wide!

USA Today

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “called for a halt to hostilities [in Yemen] within 30 days.”

AP News
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Many on both sides are advocating withdrawing US support for the Saudi war in Yemen.

  • “The changing political tide around the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia is unmistakable: from traditional hawks and Saudi-defenders like Sens. Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio to foreign-policy restrainers like Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee, there is an emerging consensus about a pullback.” According to retired Lt. Col. Danny Davis of Defense Priorities, “Mattis and Pompeo are finally acknowledging reality: there is no military solution to the civil war in Yemen and there is no strategic rationale for U.S. involvement.” The National Interest
  • “The crisis in United States-Saudi relations precipitated by the brazen murder of Jamal Khashoggi raises a critical question [about our continued cooperation with the Crown Prince]... The United States was wrong to hitch our wagon to Prince Mohammed, but we would be even more foolish to continue to do so... It should be United States policy, in conjunction with our allies, to sideline the crown prince... we should terminate all military support for the misbegotten Yemen campaign and pressure the Saudis to reach a negotiated settlement.” New York Times

Other opinions below.


See past issues

From the Left

“For most people, one man whose gruesome death we can envision has more political power than 40 nameless kids and their nameless bereaved families... For three years Saudi Arabia has, with American help, inflicted obscene misery on the people of Yemen... Yemeni children were dying because of the U.S. and Saudi war well before Jamal Khashoggi was murdered, and they continue to die after. If we are so easily seduced by a simple story, the details we ignore may be monstrous."

The Week

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“In the end, Bin Salman could pay more dearly for the life of one critical journalist than for all of Saudi Arabia’s other destructive actions."

The Guardian

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From the Right

Some argue that supporting the Saudis may be the least bad option. “We once again find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with a detestable ally in the notional service of a dodgy regime that is somehow still not the worst of the contestants in the field...

“It’s a question of ugly tradeoffs. Peace in Yemen would be desirable. So would maintaining our relationship with the Saudis and through them curtailing the influence of Iran in the region. We probably are not going to get both of those, and Yemen probably is not going to get peace irrespective of any decision taken in Washington.”

National Review

For mom: Man pays fine on library book 84 years overdue.

WTHR

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