New York Times: Trump Pardons Saudi Arabia

For the US president, only his opinion matters as he regularly ignoring professionals with years of experience. The latest example is Donald Trump dismissing a finding by US intelligence agencies that the Saudi Crown Prince ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi diplomatic consulate. “Trump has long viewed foreign policy as a series of business deals, stripped of values and idealism,” report Mark Mazzetti and Ben Hubbard for the New York Times. “But his 633-word statement on Tuesday about the brutal killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi showed the extent to which he believes that raw, mercantilist calculations should guide the United States’ decisions about the Middle East and the wider world.” A White House statement explaining Trump’s position began, “America First! The world is a very dangerous place!” It went on to blame Iran for the war on Yemen. Trump’s stated priorities include dismissing investigations that search for truth and encouraging the purchase of US-made products, especially weapons, while human rights and democratic values are regarded as incidentals and obstacles to profit taking. The stance signals that the US values its alliance with Saudi Arabia over that of Turkey, a NATO member. Moral leadership, best practiced by example during challenging times, often requires sacrifice. As one Middle East journalist noted, more strongmen and bullies are running the world. – YaleGlobal