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The Saudis engaged in a widely-publicised example of state-sanctioned murder of a US journalist last year with limited repercussions. I’d think twice before tru
by darkteflon 7y ago
The Saudis engaged in a widely-publicised example of state-sanctioned murder of a US journalist last year with limited repercussions. I’d think twice before trusting in the rule of law where our politically expedient friends are concerned.
- twic 7y agoRight, but in the US, there's a big difference between murdering someone and taking investors' money.
- m0zg 7y agoKhashoggi wasn't a "US journalist" or a US citizen. He was a Saudi citizen, and he was killed on foreign soil. As despicable as the events were, let's not lose track of the facts here. WaPo calls him a "Saudi journalist and author": https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jamal-khashoggi/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jamal-khashoggi/ If you're appalled by this murder, do recall that our lord and savior Barack Obama droned US citizens he didn't like without trial in Yemen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki So I'd say such extrajudicial executions are about par for the course for nation states.
- simonh 7y agoIt looks like the actual target of the drone was the Egyptian al-Banna. In any case, IMHO either you are able to target active terrorists without judicial overview or you're not, whatever their citizenship. I'm a Brit, so no skin in that particular issue, but for the record I have no problem with British jihadists that joined ISIS getting bombed. They made their choice.
- m0zg 7y agoI'm sure most Saudis don't have any problem with Khashoggi's killing either, for reasons that aren't too dissimilar to yours.
- simonh 7y agoThe Jihadis are murderous terrorists actively killing and sexually enslaving people. Khashogi was a journalist, and a very brave, honest and ethical one from what I can tell. I don’t see the similarity.
- lostlogin 7y agoHit squads with bone saws sawing people up in their embassies are not par for the course. This was an extreme event. Drone striking ones citizens is extreme too.
- m0zg 7y agoSure (assuming "bone saws" aren't made up by the Turks - they've never actually been demonstrated). But be that as it may, we're hardly fit to lecture others from our high horse.
- lostlogin 7y ago> But be that as it may, we're hardly fit to lecture others from our high horse. Could you explain this? Why can’t a group claim moral superiority for not butchering people? And what grouping of people does ‘we’ refer to?
- m0zg 7y agoUnited States. It was suggested that the US should sever ties with SA to protest the killing.
- lostlogin 7y agoAh, thanks. That’s a ‘we’ I am not part of.
- darkteflon 7y agoNo one suggested that. Let’s not lose track of the facts here. The original point was about whether Saudi Arabia is a rule of law jurisdiction; it is not and potential investors might do well to keep that in mind.