SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
President Donald Trump holds up a chart of military hardware sales as he meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Oval Office at the White House on March 20, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images)
Bernie Sanders Has Heard Enough: 'We Cannot Have an Ally Who Murders a Dissident in Cold Blood'
Credible allegations of Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder by the Saudi government and ongoing war crimes in Yemen should be the final straws in allowing the powerful Gulf monarchy to claim the U.S. as a friend and partner, says senator
Oct 19, 2018
While the fact remains that the United States has long had and maintained such allies--staunchly defending them from international rebuke and shielding them from prosecution--Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says the alleged murder and brutal dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by his own Saudi government and ongoing war crimes in Yemen should be the final straws in allowing the powerful Gulf monarchy to claim the U.S. as a friend and partner.
"We cannot have an ally who murders a dissident in cold blood, in their own consulate," Sanders declared on Thursday. "That is unacceptable by any government, but especially by one so closely aligned with the United States."
Meanwhile, Trump finally admitted on Thursday that it seems like Khashoggi is dead, but instead of condemning the Saudis, the president has continued to carry water for denials by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and later Thursday evening--instead of using a speech in Montana to condemn such behavior--he celebrated attacks on journalist by praising the assault by a fellow Republican who body-slammed a U.S. journalist last year.
The critique by Sanders is not an isolated occurrence as other lawmakers and outside critics have also said the Khashoggi murder should force a break in the decades-long relationship.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has been leading the charge among House Democrats by saying the U.S. should end its political alliance with Saudi Arabia, cease multi-billion dollar arms deals to the country; and also shut off military support for the country's ongoing assault on Yemen - a war which the United Nations warned earlier this week has put as many as 13 million people on the brink of famine.
\u201cDemocratic Rep. @TulsiGabbard says the US needs to:\n- End the alliance with Saudi Arabia\n- Stop arms deals to the country\n- End US military support in Yemen\n https://t.co/nhx0SyDV24\u201d— The Lead CNN (@The Lead CNN) 1539894089
In a video statement of his own on Thursday, Sanders explained why he believes it is time "thoroughly reevaluate" the U.S.-Saudi relationship and again called for the U.S. to immediately end its complicity in the Saudi-led massacre against the people of Yemen:
\u201cI have long been troubled by the nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. It's time for us to thoroughly reevaluate that relationship.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1539875519
Â
Demanding a full and independent investigation by the United Nations into Khashoggi's likely assassination on Thursday, Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said that "Khashoggi's family and the rest of the world deserve the full truth about what happened to him. Partial explanations and one-sided investigations by Saudi Arabia, which is suspected of involvement, aren't good enough."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
While the fact remains that the United States has long had and maintained such allies--staunchly defending them from international rebuke and shielding them from prosecution--Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says the alleged murder and brutal dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by his own Saudi government and ongoing war crimes in Yemen should be the final straws in allowing the powerful Gulf monarchy to claim the U.S. as a friend and partner.
"We cannot have an ally who murders a dissident in cold blood, in their own consulate," Sanders declared on Thursday. "That is unacceptable by any government, but especially by one so closely aligned with the United States."
Meanwhile, Trump finally admitted on Thursday that it seems like Khashoggi is dead, but instead of condemning the Saudis, the president has continued to carry water for denials by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and later Thursday evening--instead of using a speech in Montana to condemn such behavior--he celebrated attacks on journalist by praising the assault by a fellow Republican who body-slammed a U.S. journalist last year.
The critique by Sanders is not an isolated occurrence as other lawmakers and outside critics have also said the Khashoggi murder should force a break in the decades-long relationship.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has been leading the charge among House Democrats by saying the U.S. should end its political alliance with Saudi Arabia, cease multi-billion dollar arms deals to the country; and also shut off military support for the country's ongoing assault on Yemen - a war which the United Nations warned earlier this week has put as many as 13 million people on the brink of famine.
\u201cDemocratic Rep. @TulsiGabbard says the US needs to:\n- End the alliance with Saudi Arabia\n- Stop arms deals to the country\n- End US military support in Yemen\n https://t.co/nhx0SyDV24\u201d— The Lead CNN (@The Lead CNN) 1539894089
In a video statement of his own on Thursday, Sanders explained why he believes it is time "thoroughly reevaluate" the U.S.-Saudi relationship and again called for the U.S. to immediately end its complicity in the Saudi-led massacre against the people of Yemen:
\u201cI have long been troubled by the nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. It's time for us to thoroughly reevaluate that relationship.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1539875519
Â
Demanding a full and independent investigation by the United Nations into Khashoggi's likely assassination on Thursday, Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said that "Khashoggi's family and the rest of the world deserve the full truth about what happened to him. Partial explanations and one-sided investigations by Saudi Arabia, which is suspected of involvement, aren't good enough."
While the fact remains that the United States has long had and maintained such allies--staunchly defending them from international rebuke and shielding them from prosecution--Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says the alleged murder and brutal dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by his own Saudi government and ongoing war crimes in Yemen should be the final straws in allowing the powerful Gulf monarchy to claim the U.S. as a friend and partner.
"We cannot have an ally who murders a dissident in cold blood, in their own consulate," Sanders declared on Thursday. "That is unacceptable by any government, but especially by one so closely aligned with the United States."
Meanwhile, Trump finally admitted on Thursday that it seems like Khashoggi is dead, but instead of condemning the Saudis, the president has continued to carry water for denials by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and later Thursday evening--instead of using a speech in Montana to condemn such behavior--he celebrated attacks on journalist by praising the assault by a fellow Republican who body-slammed a U.S. journalist last year.
The critique by Sanders is not an isolated occurrence as other lawmakers and outside critics have also said the Khashoggi murder should force a break in the decades-long relationship.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) has been leading the charge among House Democrats by saying the U.S. should end its political alliance with Saudi Arabia, cease multi-billion dollar arms deals to the country; and also shut off military support for the country's ongoing assault on Yemen - a war which the United Nations warned earlier this week has put as many as 13 million people on the brink of famine.
\u201cDemocratic Rep. @TulsiGabbard says the US needs to:\n- End the alliance with Saudi Arabia\n- Stop arms deals to the country\n- End US military support in Yemen\n https://t.co/nhx0SyDV24\u201d— The Lead CNN (@The Lead CNN) 1539894089
In a video statement of his own on Thursday, Sanders explained why he believes it is time "thoroughly reevaluate" the U.S.-Saudi relationship and again called for the U.S. to immediately end its complicity in the Saudi-led massacre against the people of Yemen:
\u201cI have long been troubled by the nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. It's time for us to thoroughly reevaluate that relationship.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1539875519
Â
Demanding a full and independent investigation by the United Nations into Khashoggi's likely assassination on Thursday, Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said that "Khashoggi's family and the rest of the world deserve the full truth about what happened to him. Partial explanations and one-sided investigations by Saudi Arabia, which is suspected of involvement, aren't good enough."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.