Back to 6 years ago, when Saudi Arabia attempted a clear attack on free speech. The nation killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The United States shed light on the details of this murder, expressing that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman was behind this murder. He approved the killing plan of a journalist. Still, much of the information is not disclosed to protect Saudi Arabia from being fully blamed.
It is dangerous to hide the reality of Kashogi’s murder because it conceals the intentions of Saudi leaders. What they did in the past put the lives of other journalists in danger. The US does not explore the full information about the murder, raising concerns about the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia. Since the Biden administration supports MBS’ “sovereign immunity,” he can’t be punished while leading the country.
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the nation avoided human rights and freedom of speech. To explore the true face of Mohammad Bin Salman, more information is needed. It is also the responsibility of the US to not accept such abuses.
Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist who lived in the US. He was killed in 2018 inside Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Turkey. Jamal often expressed his thoughts against Saudi rules and nations. After his death, Saudi Arabia first backed out of being involved. After this, officials blamed some citizens for this murder but hid their names. Additionally, there was no punishment announced for persons involved in killings and the government let them go without any punishment.
This highlights how Saudi Arabia is irresponsible in its actions. The way they handle murder news highlights that the nation does not care about human rights. Those who speak against the government will get the same punishment as Kashogi. Under the leadership of Donald Trump, the US did not take any action against Saudi officials. This silent mode of the US highlighted that ties with a powerful country mattered more than protecting press freedom. Even though Biden promised to do things differently, Saudi Arabia’s lack of respect for human rights remains clear in this case.
Hanies promised lawmakers she would shed light on some important parts of this murder if confirmed. But she and the administration have not fulfilled that promise. A few parts of the report came to light, and the remaining were edited out. When a question was raised on this edit, the spokesperson said the edits were minor and were done to protect intelligence sources.
However, these edits are more serious than they claim. Comparing the Khashoggi report with another fully released report shows that important details, like why some parts are kept secret and when they can be shared, are likely hidden. This information is important for the public to argue for full openness.
It doesn’t make sense for the Biden administration to keep parts of the DNI report secret when most of it has already been shared. Full transparency is necessary, especially when no serious action has been taken against Saudi Arabia or those involved in the murder plot.
It is the responsibility of Joe Biden to explore the DNI report and the CIA’s findings publicly. This data confirms Mohammad Bin Salaman ordered Kashogi’s murder. MBS says he was not aware of the plan. But a CIA report is the only way to prove him wrong. Even if MBS has diplomatic immunity, releasing the report could help the US protect journalists around the world.
Different groups, such as the Knight First Amendment Institute, are making efforts to get access to the CIA document. But the court is not ready to explore it and wants to keep it secret. However, the court presented reasoning to keep the document secret, which is weak because sharing documents did not cause any complexity.
Keeping the CIA report hidden risks national security and shows the US is ignoring democratic values to stay close to Saudi Arabia. Protecting journalists from such governments is very important for national security.
The hidden reality of the Jamal Khashoggi case puts the lives of American journalists in danger due to the involvement of the culprit nation, Saudi Arabia. Biden should take a step and explore the reality of murder and the name of the person who was involved in this killing.