‘Full Gangster’
Lawmakers have been sharply critical of Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful Saudi crown prince. Some blame him for Khashoggi’s killing and other human rights abuses.
Eleven suspects have been indicted in Saudi Arabia for Khashoggi’s murder and Riyadh has denied the crown prince ordered the killing.
“Saudi Arabia has engaged in acts that are simply not acceptable,” said Republican Senator Jim Risch, the committee chairman. Risch has held two classified briefings in the past two weeks for the panel to discuss Saudi Arabia.
Senator Bob Menendez, the committee’s ranking Democrat, acknowledged the strategic importance of Saudi ties, amid threats from Iran. “But we cannot let these interests blind us to our values or to our long term interests in stability,” Menendez said.
Menendez did not mention by name Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law who has met with Saudi leaders, rankling some in Congress. But Menendez asked Abizaid if he would insist on being fully informed about all White House interactions with the Saudis. Abizaid said he would.
As the hearing continued, Republican Senator Marco Rubio said bin Salman had gone “full gangster,” an assertion repeated by another Republican, Senator Ron Johnson.
“He is reckless, he’s ruthless, he has a penchant for escalation, for taking high risks, confrontational in his foreign policy approach and I think increasingly willing to test the limits of what he can get away with the United States,” Rubio said.
Abizaid said in prepared remarks that the Islamic State has been “nearly vanquished on the ground,” but remains a “potent threat” to the United States and its allies.
While contradicted by some military and intelligence officials, Trump announced in December that he would withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria and has declared that the militant group has been driven out of all its territory.
After criticism, Trump has since decided to leave hundreds of U.S. troops in the country over the longer run.