Kashoggi report

[Dog]

I don't recall your concern regarding The Former Guy's administration and what they did with the report.

In fact, he ran interference for MBS.  "I saved his ass.  I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop."

How could I express concern over the administration's response to a report that had not been made public?

I don't see any daylight between the two administrations on this one.

 

[ShortForBob]

The Saudi culture is Barbaric. In addition to Kashoggi’s murder they’ve kidnapped and disappeared their citizens around the world.  Here in the US when their scumbag citizens rape, assault or otherwise harm Americans they fly them out of the county on private Jets to avoid justice.

My reasonable solution?  Stop further arms sales to the RSA.  Embrace Iran.  End sanctions.  The Persian culture is old and magnificent,  and has made many scientific and cultural contributions to the world.  They are naturally aligned with the West if we only stop meddling with them.

And the emperor has no clothes ducky.

well said.

 

[Bus Driver]

How could I express concern over the administration's response to a report that had not been made public?

I don't see any daylight between the two administrations on this one.

The report was supposed to have been released back in 2018.  The Former Guy blocked that.  Then, he did his best tom call into question the results of the report - "Maybe he did it, maybe he didn't."  

Quite a bit of daylight there.

For the record, President Biden is dead fucking wrong on his response to the report.

 

[ShortForBob]

The USA has been sheltering murderous thugs and dictators since forever. (as long as they are right wing dictators that is)

You've just dodged another 4 year bullet and your new guy has a bunch of home grown right wing thugs to contend with as well as a large portion of the population licking their "failed" MAGA wounds.

Biden cannot move the clock back 70 years. Supporting RW Dictators is what America does. Bullying small "socialist" countries is what it does. All to appease the top end of town and the saps that need to think "America great" means America "armed and eager".

You can start making America great after you make Americans civilised.

 

[Burning Man]

For the record, President Biden is dead fucking wrong on his response to the report.

I don't completely disagree with you.  But things like this are never black & white.  Out of curiosity, what would you have liked him to do instead?  Game this out to the end of whatever "Actions" you want him to take.  

 

[Mark K]

The USA has been sheltering murderous thugs and dictators since forever. (as long as they are right wing dictators that is)

You've just dodged another 4 year bullet and your new guy has a bunch of home grown right wing thugs to contend with as well as a large portion of the population licking their "failed" MAGA wounds.

Biden cannot move the clock back 70 years. Supporting RW Dictators is what America does. Bullying small "socialist" countries is what it does. All to appease the top end of town and the saps that need to think "America great" means America "armed and eager".

You can start making America great after you make Americans civilised.

Bullshit. We do not support the KSA because they are medieval loons, we support it because they happen to be sitting on the world's largest known reserves of sweet crude. We could soooo completely clean them off that spot but don't. Think about it. Is that what you want us to do in the name of social justice? 

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-19/australia-remains-vulnerable-to-running-out-of-fuel/11527492

 Looks to me Aussies have no problem with the regime. None of us can imagine our lives without oil. It's a harsh reality. 

 All that said, bear in mind we are breaking in a new King there. He's young and rash, he might mature. This adventure in Yemen should have taught him some humility, Bone Saw talked the King into that so he could "make his rep" and assured everyone he could end Yemen in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Well, that lamb had died of old age. Biden yanked US support for that shit, so there's that. The alternatives are not real viable. Bone Saw won't step down. Another harsh reality. 

 

[ShortForBob]

Was I talking about Saudi?

 

[Burning Man]

Was I talking about Saudi?

Meli, no one here knows WTF you're talking about most days.  

 

[Battlecheese]

Bullshit. We do not support the KSA because they are medieval loons, we support it because they happen to be sitting on the world's largest known reserves of sweet crude.

I think you are confused. Oil was found. Conveniently medieval loons were already in charge of the place, alleviating the need to install some new ones of our choosing.

 

[Remodel]

Astro, yo ou ingorant slut,  good American Riesling is tough to find.   The best wines of that variety are from Germany and South Africa.  Similarly, I do not source Scotch from Kentucky.

Only two good things will ever come out of Kentucky: Bourbon and news of Mitch McConnell's death.

 

[Bus Driver]

I don't completely disagree with you.  But things like this are never black & white.  Out of curiosity, what would you have liked him to do instead?  Game this out to the end of whatever "Actions" you want him to take.  

I don't pretend to understand all the forces at play.  I will say I expect the President to keep his fucking word.

From the November 21, 2019 Democratic Debate -

MITCHELL: Mr. Vice President, the CIA has concluded that the leader of Saudi Arabia directed the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The State Department also says the Saudi government is responsible for executing nonviolent offenders and for torture. President Trump has not punished senior Saudi leaders. Would you?

BIDEN: Yes, and I said it at the time. Khashoggi was, in fact, murdered and dismembered, and I believe on the order of the crown prince. And I would make it very clear we were not going to, in fact, sell more weapons to them, we were going to, in fact, make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are. There's very little social redeeming value of the -- in the present government in Saudi Arabia.

Transcript: The November Democratic debate

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Perhaps the President could declassify some information about 9/11. 
 

https://www.floridabulldog.org/2019/10/9-11-appeals-court-rules-privacy-interests-outweigh-public-interest-in-knowing/

 

[bridhb]

I don't pretend to understand all the forces at play.  I will say I expect the President to keep his fucking word.

From the November 21, 2019 Democratic Debate -

MITCHELL: Mr. Vice President, the CIA has concluded that the leader of Saudi Arabia directed the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The State Department also says the Saudi government is responsible for executing nonviolent offenders and for torture. President Trump has not punished senior Saudi leaders. Would you?

BIDEN: Yes, and I said it at the time. Khashoggi was, in fact, murdered and dismembered, and I believe on the order of the crown prince. And I would make it very clear we were not going to, in fact, sell more weapons to them, we were going to, in fact, make them pay the price and make them, in fact, the pariah that they are. There's very little social redeeming value of the -- in the present government in Saudi Arabia.

Transcript: The November Democratic debate

Heard something on NPR (I think it was) that the decision to keep selling weapons to KSA has to do with keeping China from filling that void.  Sounds like we use that excuse in a lot of places.

 

[hasher]

Heard something on NPR (I think it was) that the decision to keep selling weapons to KSA has to do with keeping China from filling that void.  Sounds like we use that excuse in a lot of places.

It is good to think that military contractors get to run the show.  What could be better?

 

[Mrleft8]

It is good to think that military contractors get to run the show.  What could be better?

Phony TV reality show grifters?

 

[hasher]

Phony TV reality show grifters?

Some are entertaining but their pyrotechnics are not first class.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Saudis would have never bone-sawed a US journalist under Trump without bigly ramifications. Trump was very strongly. Biden weak.