Trump’s recklessness dangerous to all
Trump mustered high pomp for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit. Military officers on horseback with Saudi and American flags, military band music, F-35 flyovers. Trump will need Congressional approval to sell F-35 fighter jets to the Saudis. But he’s showed he doesn’t care about such rules. His toadying Republican Congress will let him, too.
Our president made light of the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. About Khashoggi, he’s now said, “A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman.” So his murder and dismemberment in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul doesn’t matter? Charlie Kirk (liked and disliked), murdered, mattered. No sympathy for journalist Khashoggi’s family and workmates?
In June 2018, Trump’s first term, “the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights published a 101-page report which held the State of Saudi Arabia responsible for Khashoggi’s ‘premeditated extrajudicial execution’.” Execution ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Will Trump and the crown prince, this visit, privately, agree extrajudicial murder is okay? Easier? Now Trump has our Navy doing extrajudicial and no-evidence-needed executions of crews on Venezuelan boats. Sink those boats. An NPR interview with an experienced military person made the point that crews, in past monitoring, were useful for questioning to have information. Dead crews, Trump’s way — no leads. We’ve got to care.