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NEW DELHI: Days after the world marked the fifth death anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated allegedly at the hands of Saudi regime agents, US President Joe Biden has been facing accusations from human rights campaigners and some Democrats, who have alleged that Biden backtracked from his pre-poll promise to “re-evaluate” Washington’s ties with Saudi Arabia, reported The Guardian.
It has been alleged that Biden, contrary to his promise, has been actively pursuing better relations with the Saudi Kingdom to dispel the Chinese expansion and sustain its hegemony in the Middle East.
The human rights campaigners have stepped up their criticism after a new defence treaty between Washington and Riyadh “amid at” Saudi Arabia granting official recognition to Israel.
Analysts suggest that the Biden administration’s initially reserved stance toward Saudi Arabia began to thaw after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which prompted international sanctions. This compelled Western nations to urgently explore alternative sources for their energy needs, including Saudi Arabia.
In July of the same year, President Biden paid a visit to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he engaged in discussions with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. During this meeting, the two leaders were photographed exchanging a fist-bump greeting.
Following their talks, President Biden publicly conveyed that he personally held the crown prince responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He mentioned that Prince Mohammed denied any involvement in the incident.
Subsequently, the administration determined that the crown prince possessed head-of-state immunity, which shielded him from any legal proceedings in American courts regarding the Khashoggi murder. Jamal Khashoggi had been residing in the United States in exile before his tragic death.
“The US wants to drive a wedge between China and Saudi Arabia,” Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins, told The Guardian.
“The increased involvement of China in the Gulf has been a concern to Washington, and when the Chinese were able to resolve an intractable problem between the Saudis and Iran, it told Washington that China’s involvement in the region was more than just commercial,” he added.
“It is a betrayal not just of Jamal Khashoggi and the millions of people of Saudi Arabia whose lives Prince Mohammed has destroyed, but also of the promises President Biden made to the American people to end support for this autocratic, sociopathic government,” Sarah Leigh Whitson, executive director of Dawn, a pro-democracy group founded by Khashoggi months before his murder, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
“Now he is going a step further by committing America to unprecedented security guarantees that would obligate American servicemen and women to uphold the rule of this dictator. This is something that not even the Trump administration did. It’s a sad reflection of a misplaced priority that the US must maintain hegemony and pre-eminence in the Middle East at all costs, which is pathetic because we now live in a multi-polar world,” she added.
It has been alleged that Biden, contrary to his promise, has been actively pursuing better relations with the Saudi Kingdom to dispel the Chinese expansion and sustain its hegemony in the Middle East.
The human rights campaigners have stepped up their criticism after a new defence treaty between Washington and Riyadh “amid at” Saudi Arabia granting official recognition to Israel.
Analysts suggest that the Biden administration’s initially reserved stance toward Saudi Arabia began to thaw after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which prompted international sanctions. This compelled Western nations to urgently explore alternative sources for their energy needs, including Saudi Arabia.
In July of the same year, President Biden paid a visit to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where he engaged in discussions with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. During this meeting, the two leaders were photographed exchanging a fist-bump greeting.
Following their talks, President Biden publicly conveyed that he personally held the crown prince responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. He mentioned that Prince Mohammed denied any involvement in the incident.
Subsequently, the administration determined that the crown prince possessed head-of-state immunity, which shielded him from any legal proceedings in American courts regarding the Khashoggi murder. Jamal Khashoggi had been residing in the United States in exile before his tragic death.
“The US wants to drive a wedge between China and Saudi Arabia,” Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins, told The Guardian.
“The increased involvement of China in the Gulf has been a concern to Washington, and when the Chinese were able to resolve an intractable problem between the Saudis and Iran, it told Washington that China’s involvement in the region was more than just commercial,” he added.
“It is a betrayal not just of Jamal Khashoggi and the millions of people of Saudi Arabia whose lives Prince Mohammed has destroyed, but also of the promises President Biden made to the American people to end support for this autocratic, sociopathic government,” Sarah Leigh Whitson, executive director of Dawn, a pro-democracy group founded by Khashoggi months before his murder, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
“Now he is going a step further by committing America to unprecedented security guarantees that would obligate American servicemen and women to uphold the rule of this dictator. This is something that not even the Trump administration did. It’s a sad reflection of a misplaced priority that the US must maintain hegemony and pre-eminence in the Middle East at all costs, which is pathetic because we now live in a multi-polar world,” she added.
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