In Washington, there is not much mystery about Mohammed bin-Salman’s
(=MBS) behavior. He is an ego-maniac, somewhat unhinged. He is drunk
with power and accustomed to torture and kill at whim.
His campaign of annihilation
against the Houthis of Yemen indicates the depths of his depravity and the scope of his ambition.
So, too, did his
imprisoning of 400 wealthy Saudis in
the Riyadh Ritz Carlton where they were physically abused until they
coughed up their riches for his personal use (e.g., spending $500
million for a mislabeled “Leonardo” painting). MBS thus presents a good
imitation of Caligula and Nero.
So, too, did his kidnapping and physical abuse of the Prime Minister
of Lebanon (Saad Hariri) – who owed MBS money and, therefore, political
fealty.
In these ruthless ventures, he has been encouraged by the American
government. The Saudi bombing of Yemen to smithereens, literally, could
not happen physically without the active participation of the Pentagon.
The U.S. military flies the refueling planes without which MBS’s air
force could not reach their targets in Yemen on two-way missions. It
also provides the detailed electronic Intelligence critical to the
mission.
Never mind that U.S. military personnel sit in the very command rooms
from which the operations are conducted. In addition, Washington
provides unqualified diplomatic cover and justification.
This is not only the Trump Administrations doing, but this Yemen
“policy” was inaugurated by Barack Obama and was then continued by
Trump. In legal terms, we — the United States — are an accessory
before, during and after the fact of MBS’ crimes in Yemen.
The United States’s main responsibility lies in helping instill MBS’s
deep sense of impunity. In addition, we encouraged the Saudi alliance
with Israel. This gave MBS further confidence that active lobbying in
Washington and the media would insulate him from any retribution.
Hence, feeling that he protected all his relevant flanks properly, he
is now furious that some people in the West (not including the White
House) are making such a fuss over the pedestrian act of whacking an
annoying critic.
Furthermore, from the Saudi crown prince’s perspective, the United
States has set the relevant precedent for the assassination of political
enemies. Witness the US program of drone killings in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Mali, Chad and a number of
other countries.
It is hard to deny that, via its drone strike “policy,” the U.S.
government has gone a long way toward establishing the de facto
legitimacy of extra-judicial murder as a standard combat tactic.
In the United States, this approach is accepted as such. Since
targeted assassination involves no U.S. casualties, it makes the
prosecution of war more palatable to the U.S. public. That is why is now
an integral part of the playbook.
The chain of “command” is as follows: The Israelis inaugurated it. We
Americans refined it and extended it. MBS now emulates us. Count on
others to follow it.
Of course, the level of inhibition varies from leader and by target.
America’s singular influence in setting global “fashions” means that the
inhibition will weaken most everywhere and the range of individuals
targeted will widen.
The tactic of knocking-off the enemy’s chief has deep historical roots.
In the age of kings and emperors, it was tempting to think of
decapitating the opposition.
The public reaction in the United States to Khashoggi’s grisly murder
reveals some singular features of the prevailing attitude toward
morality in foreign policy:
Despite Trump’s rhetorical pullback, the United States has committed
to a strategy of global dominance – by means violent as well as
peaceable.
Americans remain wedded to the belief that they are a moral people
following the course of righteousness in the world. “When conquer we
must, for our cause it is just; let this be our motto: In God is our
trust.”
This unthinking mental universe has permitted the US so far to perpetuate
many myths about their place in the world. But eventually, they must look
at the dark truth: The America that so many people around the globe
looked to for guidance in seeking enlightened political truth has become
the model and inspiration for those who seek to evade it.
Read more: US Drones and the Khashoggi Murder - The Globalist
