Mike Pompeo coddling Saudi Crown Prince, smearing Khashoggi in book. Pompeo reveals disdain for U.S. values of free expression.Comment: It is deeply concerning that Mike Pompeo is coddling a murderer and attacking a journalist who was only trying to promote freedom of expression.
Mike Pompeo coddling Saudi Crown Prince, smearing Khashoggi in book. Disdain for U.S. values of free expression.
In his new book, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reveals his true feelings about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist. Khashoggi was brutally killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and the US intelligence community found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) approved the operation. President Donald Trump and Mr. Pompeo chose to protect MBS and refused to impose serious penalties on the kingdom. In his book, Mr. Pompeo makes no secret of his admiration for MBS and claims that he and Mr. Trump felt they had saved the crown prince from disrepute.
Mr. Pompeo’s comments on Khashoggi’s murder reveal his disregard for American values of free expression and the rule of law. He claims that the Middle East is a tough neighborhood and that the murder was not surprising. He goes on to smear the murdered Khashoggi as an “activist” and not a journalist, claiming he “had supported the losing team in a recent fight for the throne.”
The Washington Post’s Editorial Board has condemned Mr. Pompeo’s comments and has called for accountability for the people responsible for Khashoggi’s murder. They argue that Khashoggi’s journalism was in the best tradition of American values and that Mr. Pompeo’s language is that of a street tough, not the leader of a nation based on the rule of law.
Mr. Pompeo’s comments on Khashoggi’s murder reveal his lack of respect for American values and the rule of law. His admiration for MBS and his attempt to smear Khashoggi as an “activist” show that he is willing to turn a blind eye to the human rights abuses of the Saudi government. The Washington Post’s Editorial Board has rightly condemned Mr. Pompeo’s comments and called for accountability for those responsible for Khashoggi’s murder.
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