Washington
Having announced a “full report” of the CIA to shed light on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Donald Trump has issued on Tuesday a communiqué inimitable before going to pardon two turkeys, Peas and Carrots, and then flying off to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he will spend the long bridge of Thanksgiving.
” READ ALSO – Khashoggi: Trump is considering the involvement of prince Bin Salman
“Our security agencies continue to evaluate all of the information, said the president, but it may well be that the crown prince (Mohammed Bin Salman, said MBS, editor’s NOTE) was aware of this tragic event – maybe yes and maybe no!” This despite its “denials vigorous” and even though Khashoggi had been taken “to an enemy of the saudi State”.
“But my decision is not based on it,” says the president, whose decision, in fact, is to “remain a strong partner of saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all our other partners in the region”. The Congress, which promises to keep Arabia at a distance “as the MBS in the face”, in the words of senator Lindsey Graham, “is free to go in a different direction,” adds Trump. I will consider all of the ideas that I will be subject”.
“All the world knows well what happened”
“We hold our noses and move on to something else,” says Simon Henderson, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. According to republican senator Roy Blunt, a “briefed” on Friday with members of the intelligence committee, there is a lack in the CIA “proof positive” that the order to murder emanates from MBS. For Trump, who seeks to turn the page on this sordid affair without questioning its relationship with the house of Saud, the doubt is enough. “Everyone knows what happened”, slips a counselor to the president. But as king Salman protects his son, the head of the White House will treat it as an asset to make room for Iran, control the price of oil and support a compromise between Israel and the Palestinians. He also relied on the promise of saudi arabia to buy for the 110 billion dollars of arms to americans, even if the order books do state that 14.5 billion.
” READ ALSO – Case Khashoggi: king Salman of Saudi campaign across the kingdom to save MBS
The president had been informed of the conclusions of the central espionage since last week. Gina Haspel, the director of the CIA, who visited Turkey at the end of October, he has been a part of the content of a record “very violent, very brutal and terrible”, that Trump does not want to listen to them in person. It has also detailed a phone call between the british ambassador to Washington, Khaled Bin Salman, brother of the crown prince, and Khashoggi to encourage him to go to the consulate in Istanbul to obtain the necessary papers for his marriage, assuring him that it would be “safe”. Finally, she justified the “high degree of confidence” of the american services, as to the direct responsibility of MBS in explaining the close control that the crown prince carries on all the affairs of the kingdom.
In consideration of his complacency, Donald Trump waits for a lull on the front of the Yemen, where the Pentagon has already stopped to refuel in-flight aviation of saudi arabia. Washington also comes to appoint general John Abizaid ambassador to Riyadh, placement of MBS under surveillance. The attitude of the president in the face of the crown prince will be observed a magnifying glass at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires at the end of November.
