MBS gone 'full gangster'
Retired General John Abizaid, President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia, defended the US-Saudi relationship on Wednesday as lawmakers accused the kingdom of a litany of misdeeds and criticized its crown prince as going "full gangster."
Senators at Abizaid's confirmation hearing including Trump's fellow Republicans as well as Democrats condemned the kingdom's conduct in the civil war in Yemen, heavy-handed diplomacy and rights abuses. Among those were the torturing of women's activists and a US citizen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Abizaid called for accountability for the murder of Khashoggi, a US resident, and support for human rights, but repeatedly stressed the strategic importance of Washington-Riyadh ties.
Despite increasing tension between the two countries, the United States has not had an ambassador to Saudi Arabia since Trump became president in January 2017.
"In the long run, we need a strong and mature partnership with Saudi Arabia," Abizaid told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "It is in our interests to make sure that the relationship is sound."
"He is reckless, he's ruthless, he has a penchant for escalation," said Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as the hearing continued.
The Senate and House of Representatives have passed resolutions that would end US support for the Saudi-led coalition, an important rebuke of Riyadh. But Abizaid said the Trump administration believes strongly that US support should continue.
Meanwhile, at least 36 countries including all 28 EU members have signed a statement criticising Saudi Arabia's human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday, diplomats said.
The statement was the first rebuke of the kingdom since the UN forum was set up in 2006. The text calls on Saudi authorities to release detained activists and cooperate with a UN-led probe into the murder of Khashoggi.
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