The Khashoggi Sanction – WSJ

News of the secret report was leaked at the time, in part to embarrass Donald Trump. The former president viewed the crown prince, known as MBS, as an ally and did not want to jeopardize the ties between Saudi Arabia and the US. He accepted MBS’s denial without nuance or moral condemnation, which was his custom. President Biden is lowering those ties, or what he calls a “re-evaluation,” that will play well on Capitol Hill with progressives and isolationists seeking to distance the US from the Saudis.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced on Friday what he called a “Khashoggi Ban”, a new visa restriction policy for persons “believed to have been directly involved in serious, extraterritorial activities against dissidents.” The US will enforce the new ban on 76 Saudis, and it could serve as a warning to foreign officials that they and their families could be barred from entering the US if they act against opponents abroad. Don’t underestimate how many foreign leaders are willing to send their kids to Stanford or Duke.

But note that the US has not applied that sanction to MBS, the Saudi defense secretary, and likely the next king. Democrats and the media are already calling this inadequate and want MBS to be banned if not charged. The Biden administration seems to realize that this would lead to a more serious break in US-Saudi relations that would aid opponents in Tehran, Moscow and Beijing.

Trump had a moral ear, but his support for the Saudis and Israel, and his opposition to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, helped pave the way for the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and the Arab states. The Biden administration should think twice about alienating the Saudis, who are rare American friends in a dangerous part of the world.

Khashoggi’s murder was a particularly brutal attack on a political opponent, but we can think of others who could make the new “ban” list. If MBS is eligible, what about Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin coterie and members of the China State Council who are ultimately responsible for the arrest of Democrats in Hong Kong? Or the terror sponsors in Tehran that Mr Biden apparently intends to court (see nearby)?

The Khashoggi report and the sanctions send a message of dislike from the US over a terrible crime. But in a dire and cruel world, the US still needs partners like the Saudis.