Article Image

IPFS News Link • Saudi Arabia

Rand Paul wants to cut military aid to Saudis until missing journalist is found alive

• Fox News

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday said he plans to introduce a bill this week to cut off all military aid to Saudi Arabia until missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is returned alive.

Turkish officials believe Khashoggi vanished Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and was dismembered. A team of 15 Saudis flew into the country the day of his disappearance and are suspected of playing a role.

"To me, this is just one more reason why we should be very suspect about selling arms to the Saudis," Paul told Shannon Bream, host of 'Fox News @ Night.' "If they have the ability and also the audacity to go into another country and kill a journalist, these aren't the kind of people maybe that we want to be selling arms to."

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is demanding answers from the "highest levels" of the Saudi Arabian government, but he told Fox News that it was too early to commit to "what recourse we would take," if it turns out Saudi Arabia was involved in Khashoggi's disappearance.

"I think that would be hurting us," Trump said. "We have jobs. We have a lot of things happening in this country. We have a country that's probably doing better economically than its ever done before. A part of that is what we're doing with our defense system and everybody's wanting them, and frankly, I think that would be a very, very tough pill to swallow for our country."

His comments came after the fiancé of Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor who often criticized the regime of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urged him to shed light on the matter.


thelibertyadvisor.com/declare