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Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, addresses reporters at the US Capitol on October 3, 2018. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
Felicia Sonmez
National Journalist in the Washington Post Political Press Team
Saudi Arabia's late explanation for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi sparked skeptical skepticism on Sunday from congressional lawmakers and increasingly bipartisan appeals for the kingdom – and perhaps Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – face serious repercussions.
Senior Republican and Democratic officials have proposed sanctions against the long-standing ally of the United States, the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador and the reduction in sales. weapons, among other possible sanctions. The lawmakers also said that the United States should refuse to maintain relations with Mohammed and demand that Saudi Arabia replace him as crown prince if he is found to be responsible – as provided by the United States. members of both parties.
"I think MBS was involved in that, that he directed it and that person was deliberately murdered," said Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) On Sunday in an appearance in " State of the Union ", referring to the Crown Prince.
Corker – who chairs the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee – called for a "collective response" from the United States, Britain, France, and Germany if an investigation revealed that the Crown Prince was at the origin of Khashoggi's murder in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul.
"Sanctions should be put in place for anyone involved," Tennessee Republican told Jake Tapper of CNN.
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill) said on Sunday that the Saudi ambassador should be officially expelled from the United States if an investigation reveals the involvement of the Crown Prince. The suggestion echoed a call by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) A day earlier.
Senator Thom Tillis (RC) also called for a firm response to the Saudi government.
"We have to get to the bottom of things," said Tillis. "In Saudi Arabia, you do not do anything of this stature without permission from the top, we have to determine who it is and hold them accountable."
[‘He had this guy murdered’: Sen. Lindsey Graham blames Saudi crown prince for missing journalist]
Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) Stated that he thought the Crown Prince was ultimately responsible and that he should pay the price.
"You will never convince me that he did not do it," said Graham on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" show.
"Saudi Arabia is an ally, but this behavior is outside the norm to the point that the people involved must be eliminated, in my opinion," he added. "Saudi Arabia is a country. MBS is a person. And I'm ready to separate the two. "
President Trump continued to express support for the Crown Prince, even though he refrained from describing Saudi Arabia's history as credible.
"Obviously, there has been deception and lies," Trump said in an interview with the Washington Post on Saturday, after discussing the many discrepancies between the various accounts of the Saudis. "Their stories are everywhere."
He did not call for the ouster of Mohammed and praised the leaders of the Crown Prince, calling him "a strong person, he has very good control".
Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Said Sunday in "Fox News Sunday" that he was certain that Mohammed was responsible for the disappearance and death of Khashoggi, claiming that "it is impossible that 15 people are sent from Saudi Arabia to Turkey ". to kill a dissident without the approval of the crown prince. "
"It takes credibility to think that the Crown Prince is not involved in this," said Paul, urging the United States to sever relations with Mohammed and calling for his replacement.
In an interview with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said an investigation was under way to determine how Khashoggi was killed and what happened to his body. . He rebuffed Paul and other people who claimed to be certain that the Crown Prince was involved, believing that it is "very surprising" that legislators located at "6,000 miles" could make such decisions to about what happened.
"There is a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise," said Jubeir, thus moving an argument advanced by Trump himself in a recent interview with the Associated Press.
The representative of the ruling Democratic Party, Adam B. Schiff (California), described Khashoggi's killing as "an event that changes relations for the United States and Saudi Arabia."
"We need to suspend military sales, we have to suspend some security aids and impose sanctions on all those directly involved in this murder," Schiff told ABC News's "This Week" show. . which forces us to reexamine our relationship with Saudi Arabia. "
Peter T. King (NS), a member of the House's Intelligence Committee, said that despite denials by the Saudi government, his intentions were clear.
"Obviously, there was an intention, I believe, to kill him," King said of Khashoggi. He said the United States should take retaliatory measures, such as postponing arms sales, but also warned that the United States "are not doing harm", given the value of the US-Saudi alliance.
"What happened here is wildness and we can not follow their cover story," said King.
Paul recommended reducing arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the killing of Khashoggi and other aggressive companies, claiming in "Fox News Sunday" that "it's the only thing that the Saudis will listen ". He criticized Trump's argument that the United States should not abandon the project. The latest $ 110 billion armament deal on the concern for US jobs that these contracts support. The figure is in dispute and Trump has been criticized for inflating both the monetary value of the transaction and the number of jobs that she supports.
"I do not think guns should be considered an employment program," Paul said. "We should never sell weapons to any country unless it is in our interest for national security."
"It is only one of many instances of Saudi insult to the civilized world," added the senator.
Paul was one of Congress's most critical voices on Saudi politics, pointing out that the kingdom was financially supporting and offering refuge to extremists, and asserting that his air campaign in the Yemeni civil war "actually increased our national risk. ".
He added that if Congress voted in the coming weeks to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia, "we would win in an overwhelming way, so I think the powers in place will try to prevent us from" 39 to have this vote ".
Congress can not vote to block Saudi arms sales until they are announced, leading Paul to think Sunday that "arms sales will continue. I think that they will avoid announcing the sales of weapons to prevent us from blocking them. "
Senator Robert Menendez (DN.J.) has blocked the transfer of precision-guided ammunition to Saudi Arabia, fearing that it will be used against civilians in Yemen – a reason cited by many members of Congress in recent days : Blocking arms sales is largely theoretical.
It is likely that the House will vote next month on a move to limit military, intelligence and air support from the United States to the Saudi Arabian campaign in Yemen under the Powers of War resolution, but the prospects for his passage are not clear. Last year, the Senate was unable to muster enough support to adopt a similar resolution.
Paul said that the United States could exert an "incredible leverage" on Saudi Arabia by limiting support to its air campaign, the kingdom's planes being all American, which means that they have need the assistance and support of the United States.
"The Saudis need us a lot more than we need," he said, estimating that the Saudi air force "can not last more than two months" without his support .
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