Biden Visits Saudi Arabia, Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman After 'Fist Bump'
Directly Raises Responsibility for Journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Assassination
U.S. President Joe Biden directly held Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman responsible for the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Crown Prince Mohammed denied any personal responsibility for the incident.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, President Biden said at a press conference after talks with Crown Prince Mohammed on the 15th (local time), "I raised the issue early in the meeting, making clear what I thought then and what I think now." This indicates that he pointed out Crown Prince Mohammed's responsibility for Khashoggi's assassination.
President Biden emphasized, "I was very straightforward in saying that for the President of the United States to be silent on human rights issues contradicts who we are and who I am," adding, "I will always stand up for our values."
However, regarding this, Crown Prince Mohammed reportedly responded that he has no personal responsibility for the assassination and that actions have already been taken against those responsible, according to President Biden. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post (WP) columnist and Saudi dissident journalist, was killed by Saudi agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
U.S. intelligence agencies identified Crown Prince Mohammed as the mastermind behind the assassination, and President Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia an international "outcast," which cooled relations between the two countries.
Earlier that day, upon arriving in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and heading to Al Salam Palace, President Biden exited his vehicle and instead of shaking hands with Crown Prince Mohammed, who came to greet him, they exchanged a 'fist bump.' Bloomberg News reported this as the end of the "Saudi outcast era." However, Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of the WP, where Khashoggi worked, issued a statement calling the fist bump "shameful" and criticized it as granting Crown Prince Mohammed the "unjust redemption" he sought.
The White House announced before the trip that President Biden would minimize physical contact such as handshakes due to a resurgence of COVID-19. This was also interpreted as meaning he would at least not shake hands with Crown Prince Mohammed. During a prior visit to Israel, President Biden shook hands with senior officials and hugged Holocaust survivors at a memorial. On this day, he also shook hands with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
At the press conference, President Biden said he does not regret his past remarks related to the Khashoggi case and reiterated, "What happened to Khashoggi was heinous."
President Biden also highlighted the achievements of his Saudi visit. He said there had been progress toward normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia agreed to cooperate on a broad green energy initiative. He also mentioned that Saudi Arabia would take measures within weeks to increase global oil supply. Furthermore, he stated, "We will not leave a vacuum in the Middle East for Russia or China to fill," making clear that this Middle East trip also aimed to counter China and Russia.
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