Khashoggi's Murder Still Lingers over US-Saudi Relations after a Year

The United States continues to discuss the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Wikimedia Commons)

One year later, the U.S. still remembers—and has not forgiven—the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its barbaric murder of the former American resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

The murder, allegedly orchestrated by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, involved suffocating Khashoggi and then dismembering his body with a bonesaw, per the New York Times. At the time, Khashoggi’s murder seemed to signal a change in the American populace’s view of the Kingdom, as they grew more aware of Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen, currently home of the world’s most devastating humanitarian aid crisis. 

“Khashoggi is always going to be a stain on Mohammed bin Salman,” remarked Hala Aldosari, a leading scholar on U.S.-Saudi relations at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies. “It is not going to go away.” 

Mohammed bin Salman, nicknamed MBS, had earned a reputation as a charming, relatively-progressive new face of Saudi Arabia. His leadership in promoting social reforms—particularly concerning women—garnered considerable praise in the U.S. As a result of the reform, women gained the ability to drive and travel without their male counterpart’s permission. Khashoggi’s murder quickly flipped America’s relatively positive perception of the Crown Prince.

Khashoggi, once a weekly Washington Post columnist, was known for his scathing editorials against MBS. Khashoggi often identified the Crown Prince’s authoritarian tendencies, at least until he went to retrieve some paperwork in the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul. He never reappeared and was featured as TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2018 as the centerpiece of a feature concerning violence against journalists. Since then, the widespread outrage of the American public has seemingly fractured a once-solid alliance. 

For instance, a recent Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabian oil facility has prompted questions concerning whether the U.S. would come to the Kingdom’s defense against Iran militarily. 

“They’re sitting across from the person who chopped up a reporter. I don’t see any responsibility for us to protect and defend Saudi Arabia,” answered Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Furthermore, the Senate had passed bills banning arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which were soon vetoed by President Trump.

Interestingly, the President seems to be one of the few Americans unconcerned about Khashoggi’s murder. In fact, President Trump is still yet to connect the killing to MBS, prompting rare criticism from within his own party. 

“The president’s shameful veto tramples over the will of the bipartisan, bicameral Congress and perpetuates his administration’s involvement in the horrific conflict in Yemen, which is a stain on the conscience of the world,” Pelosi said concerning the President’s vetoes.