Press Secretary of the White House Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiCuomo asks New York AG to appoint independent lawyer to investigate allegations of sexual harassment Ocasio-Cortez: detailed sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo Sunday programs ‘painful to read’ – Trump’s resurgence, COVID-19 vaccines and variants dominate MORE on Monday he defended the Biden government’s decision not to penalize Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in connection with the murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Psaki described the sanctions announced last week against Saudi Arabia’s rapid intervention force and a former intelligence officer as “a series of strong measures” that the government believes will prevent such a crime from happening again. The government did not impose penalties on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite a US intelligence report implicating him in the murder.
“This is a crucial step because it structurally addresses an unacceptable targeting, monitoring, harassment and threats to dissidents and journalists pattern,” Psaki told reporters at a news conference on Monday afternoon. “Our national security team believes that going after the network responsible for these actions is the best way to prevent a crime like this from happening again.”
Although she does not rule out sanctions against the Crown Prince Saudi in the future, Psaki noted that the United States does not normally sanction leaders of countries with which it has diplomatic relations.
She said officials also made it clear that the United States plans to “recalibrate” its relationship with Saudi Arabia, including changing the way Biden communicates with its leaders and ending support for Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen.
“We will hold them accountable. Let’s take a few steps. We will not fail to make clear where the actions are unacceptable, where there is a need for change and reforms implemented, while recognizing that there are areas in which we need to continue to work together because they are in the interest of the United States and our own security ”, said Psaki.
The Biden government on Friday announced sanctions against a former Saudi deputy intelligence leader, Ahmad Hassan Mohammed al Asiri, and Saudi Arabia’s rapid intervention force in connection with the 2018 Khashoggi assassination. The government also announced restrictions visas for 76 Saudi citizens. The measures took place shortly after the release of a declassified intelligence report that said the Crown Prince approved the plot to “capture and kill” Khashoggi in Turkey.
Biden has faced calls to impose penalties on the Crown Prince, however, due to his involvement in the murder.
“The Biden administration must explore ways to ensure that the repercussions for Mr. Khashoggi’s brutal murder go beyond those who carried it out, to the one who ordered it – the crown prince himself,” chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett SchiffBiden postpones punishing the Crown Prince of Arabia, despite US intelligence Night defense: Biden sends message with air attack on Syria US intelligence points to Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s murder | Pentagon launches sexual assault commission led by civilian Democrats demanding Saudi Arabian responsibility for Khashoggi’s death. (D-Calif.) Said in a statement Friday.
“He has blood on his hands and that blood belonged to an American resident and journalist. The president should not meet with the crown prince, or talk to him, and the government should consider sanctions on the assets of the Saudi Public Investment Fund that he controls and that have any connection to the crime, ”said Schiff.