Trump and bin Salman .. extends the "year of honey" after the killing of Khashoggi?

Mohamed Minshawi-Washington

Opinion polls by US academics and diplomats also contrast with the Trump administration's stance of supporting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite the facts revealed about his responsibility for the murder of fellow journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country's consulate in Istanbul a year ago.

The repercussions of Khashoggi's death led to a majority of the American public refusing to stand with Saudi Arabia and attack Iran in retaliation for the Aramco strike, according to a recent Business Insider poll of 1,142 US citizens, showing that only 13 percent support attacks on Iran. .

The speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy that the killing of Khashoggi "is one of the reasons for refusing to provide any support to Saudi Arabia to respond to the attacks of Aramco facilities."

Pelosi criticized Secretary of State Pompeo's visits to Riyadh and to meet with Mohammed bin Salman after the killing. "Pompeo sits against someone who ordered the cutting of a journalist and the dissolution of his body in chemicals ... I do not see any responsibility on the United States to protect or defend Saudi Arabia," Pelosi told US national radio.

However, Saudi Minister of State Adel al-Jubeir said at a seminar at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York last week: "I cannot imagine that the nature of our alliance with the United States will change because of Khashoggi's murder."

On the other hand, a number of American experts - Al Jazeera Net views - that their country's relationship with Saudi Arabia is subjected to a severe test, especially with regard to the future.

"Washington's relations with Riyadh are deteriorating, although the Trump administration has clearly overlooked Mohammed bin Salman's responsibility for the killing of Khashoggi," said Sanford Lakoff, a professor of international relations at the University of San Diego, California.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Lakoff attributed this position to "the belief of Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo of the importance of an alliance with Saudi Arabia to stand up to Iran, as well as the role of Riyadh in the stability of global energy markets, and being one of the most important buyers of US arms, to pay cash as Trump said."

In addition to the above reasons, the American academic pointed to "the Saudi promise to play a big role in any deal put forward by the Trump administration to solve the dilemma of the Middle East conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis," considering that "another element of Trump to condone the killing", and ruled out the deterioration of official relations with Riyadh. With Trump in the White House. "

Lackov compared public opinion to Riyadh before and after Khashoggi's murder.``Many Americans regarded Mohammed bin Salman as a young reformist leader who wanted to bring about social changes in his country, ally, friend and important to US interests, but Khashoggi's death changed the American popular mood towards Mohammed bin Salman. ''

The victim is surrounding the executioner
Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official and researcher at the Brookings Institution, said: "The ghost of Jamal Khashoggi will remain on the chest of Saudi Arabia. A year after Khashoggi's murder, this crime has not been forgotten as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wished. ".

In an article on the institute's website, Riedel said, "Mohammed bin Salman destroyed the security relations that Saudi Arabia has had with the United States over the past 75 years by his decision to kill Jamal Khashoggi."

In an attempt to foresee the nature of relations, he does not really say, "The present and the future are not in the direction of the past in relation to Washington's relationship with Riyadh."

He explained that the special relations between Washington and Riyadh enjoyed the support of the Democratic and Republican parties, and the former Saudi Ambassador Bandar bin Sultan established good relations with the leaders of the two parties, but the killing of Khashoggi not only lost the Saudis Democratic Party, but also many Republicans.

"The Trump administration's reaction to Khashoggi's death was weak and unconvincing, but it was more powerful in Congress," former US ambassador David Mack, who is now an expert at the Middle East Institute, told Al Jazeera.

According to Mak, Mohammed bin Salman "has become an obstacle to the development of Washington's relations with Riyadh, despite the national strategic motives between the two countries."

Former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan called on Congress to "cut off military and logistical assistance to Riyadh because of its responsibility for the killing of Khashoggi, and because of the crimes of the Arab coalition in Yemen," saying that failure to punish Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Khashoggi the world".

"When the September 11 attacks took place, the Saudi government was a direct victim of terrorists," said a former US diplomat who declined to be named after the September 11, 2001, attacks on Riyadh and Washington.

"President George W. Bush and his top advisers understand that the Saudi government has not been involved in planning the events of September 11, but now everyone understands that the Saudi government and perhaps its powerful crown prince himself is behind the killing of Khashoggi," he said.

Democratic candidates seeking the party's ticket for the upcoming presidential election are critical of Trump's stance on Mohammed bin Salman, especially not blaming him for the killing of Khashoggi despite the CIA's assertion.