The Biden administration says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's high office should shield him from a lawsuit over his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, making a turnaround from President Joe Biden's passionate campaign trail denunciations of the prince over the brutal slaying.
The administration spoke out in support of a claim of legal immunity from Prince Mohammed -- Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, who also recently took the title of prime minister -- against a suit brought by the fiancee of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and by the rights group Khashoggi founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now.
The State Department on Thursday called the administration's call to shield the Saudi crown prince from U.S. courts in Khashoggi's 2018 killing "purely a legal determination." It cited what it called longstanding precedent. The Biden administration statement Thursday noted visa restrictions and other penalties that it had meted out to lower-ranking Saudi officials in the death.
"I think it was a flat-out murder," Biden said in a 2019 CNN town hall, as a candidate. "And I think we should have nailed it as that. I publicly said at the time we should treat it that way and there should be consequences relating to how we deal with those -- that power." "It's beyond ironic that President Biden has singlehandedly assured MBS can escape accountability when it was President Biden who promised the American people he would do everything to hold him accountable," the head of DAWN, Sarah Leah Whitson, said in a statement, using the prince's acronym.
"It's impossible to read the Biden administration's move today as anything more than a capitulation to Saudi pressure tactics, including slashing oil output to twist our arms to recognize MBS's fake immunity ploy," Whitson said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince in killing of journalist Jamal KhashoggiBiden administration now says Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman should have immunity in slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Read more »
U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi killingThe Biden administration said that the office held by Saudi Arabia\u0027s prince should shield him from lawsuits over Jamal Khashoggi\u0027s murder.
Read more »
U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince in journalist killingThe Biden administration declared Thursday that the high office held by Saudi Arabia's crown prince should shield him from lawsuits for his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, a turnaround from Joe Biden's passionate campaign trail denunciations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal slaying.
Read more »
U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi killingThe Biden administration said that the office held by Saudi Arabia\u0027s prince should shield him from lawsuits over Jamal Khashoggi\u0027s murder.
Read more »
Russia says it’s open to more U.S. talks but dismisses idea of Putin-Biden summitRussian and U.S. officials have sporadically held talks since Moscow invaded Ukraine, but the Kremlin says Putin and Biden could not hold a summit again now
Read more »
‘The Crown’ Cast React To Mariah Carey Viewing Party'The Crown' stars Elizabeth Debicki, Dominic West and Olivia Williams react to the massive success of the show's fifth season, which has even found a fan in Mariah Carey.
Read more »