Biden is in a tough spot but don't disagree on his approach. SA is too important "right now" (need some more time for oil independence). Khashoggi was not a US citizen, was not a permanent resident, and the crime was not on US soil.
Quote:
On Friday, the administration released a declassified intelligence report on Khashoggi's death that said the crown prince, known as MBS, directly approved the killing of the journalist. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced visa restrictions that affected 76 Saudis involved in harassing activists and journalists, but he didn't announce measures that touch the crown prince despite the fact that President Joe Biden promised to punish senior Saudi leaders while on the campaign trail.
CNN previously reported that two administration officials said sanctioning MBS was never really an option, operating under the belief it would have been "too complicated" and could have jeopardized US military interests in Saudi Arabia. As a result, the administration did not even request the State Department to work up options for how to target MBS with sanctions, one State Department official said.
Biden said at the White House on Saturday that there will be an announcement on Monday "about what we're going to be doing with Saudi Arabia generally." He also told Univision on Friday that he was now dealing with the Saudi King and not bin Salman, saying "the rules are changing" in the US' relationship with the Saudis.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said Sunday that Biden's forthcoming announcement is "not a new policy announcement," but an "elaboration" of Friday's actions.
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