Biden vows to hold Saudi Arabia accountable after Khashoggi report is released

President BidenJoe BidenBiden ‘disappointed’ by Senate parliamentarian’s decision but ‘respects’ ruling Taylor Swift celebrates House passage of equality law Donald Trump Jr. calls Bruce Springsteen of’ liberal privilege ” MORE said on Friday he would hold Saudi Arabia accountable after the government released a report revealing that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of US journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In an interview with Univision, Biden detailed a conversation he had Thursday with Saudi King Salman in which he stressed that the United States would push Riyadh to honor human rights amid continued criticism of the murder. de Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who lived in Virginia and criticized the Saudi royal family.

“I spoke yesterday with the king, not with the prince. I made it clear to him that the rules are changing and that we will be announcing significant changes today and Monday. We are going to hold them accountable for the human rights violations and we are going to make sure that they, in fact, if they want to deal with us, they have to deal with it in a way that the human rights violations are dealt with. Biden said.

“And we are trying to do it around the world,” he continued. “But especially here, this report stayed there, the last administration did not even publish it. We immediately, upon my arrival, tabled the report, read, obtained and published today. And it is scandalous what happened.

The remarks come as bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill call for a realignment of Washington’s historically close relationship with Riyadh. Frustration with Saudi Arabia has grown not only because of Khashoggi’s murder, but also because of the Saudi-backed offensive against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which observers say has exacerbated the situation. humanitarian crisis in the country.

“I hope this is only a first step and that the administration plans to take concrete action holding Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally responsible for his role in this heinous crime,” Sen said. Bob menendezRobert (Bob) MenendezSenate Confirms Thomas-Greenfield As UN Ambassador The Memo: Biden Bets Big On Immigration Biden Pushes Broader Pathways To Citizenship As Immigration Bill Comes To Congress MORE (DN.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement, referring to the release of the report.

In response to the report, the Biden administration on Friday rolled out sanctions against those implicated in Khashoggi’s murder and imposed visa restrictions on 76 Saudis suspected of being engaged in threats against dissidents abroad.

The White House, however, did not announce a specific punishment for Mohammed, the daily ruler of the kingdom.

Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he was trying to obtain documents for a marriage license. Turkish authorities have said they believe Khashoggi was strangled on arrival and then dismembered in an attempt to hide his body.