US: Khashoggi murder undermines regional stability
(Baonghean.vn) - On October 27, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis emphasized that incidents such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi have eroded the stability of the Middle East region, and affirmed that Washington will take additional measures to punish those responsible for the incident.
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| The US Secretary of Defense stressed that the murder of a Saudi journalist undermines the stability of the Middle East region. Photo: Getty |
The murder of Mr. Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and journalist working for the Washington Post (USA), has sparked a wave of criticism from Riyadh's Western allies and pushed Saudi Arabia into crisis.
The Arab kingdom is the world's top oil exporter and a strategic ally of the West. Saudi Arabia is a key player in a US-backed regional alliance aimed at countering Iran's growing influence in the Middle East, but the crisis over Khashoggi's murder has strained ties between Riyadh and the West.
US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to thoroughly investigate the incident, but still highlighted Riyadh's role as an ally against Iran and Islamic militants.
Speaking at the annual Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama (Bahrain) on October 27, Mr. Mattis stated: “Given our shared interest in peace and strong respect for human rights, the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility concerns us all. The failure of any country to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability, at a time when stability is needed most. The Secretary of State has revoked visas (of some Saudi citizens) and will take additional measures.”
However, in his speech, the head of the Pentagon did not specifically mention Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is under the spotlight.
Despite some tough comments on the Khashoggi murder, Mr. Mattis insisted that the incident would not cause relations between Washington and Riyadh to deteriorate.
“It’s hard to imagine this administration fundamentally changing how it views Saudi Arabia’s role in counterterrorism or in dealing with Iran,” said Dennis Ross, a top Middle East adviser to former President Obama during his first term.
