Joaquin Castro (D-TX) appeared on CNN on Friday to discuss the disappearance and assumed death of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi by what is now widely assumed to have been retaliation by the Saudi government for critical reporting. The story has gripped the nation since it hit airwaves, and Castro took it just a few wide steps too far during his segment.
Dem Rep. Castro Walks Back Comments on Jared Kushner: Not Accusing Him of Anything, Just Calling for Investigation https://t.co/0ELTi8OHIs pic.twitter.com/yQ56jSdyxW
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 19, 2018
The story was damning enough for the Saudi royal family and for the Trump administration without elected officials dignifying sensationalized reports from tabloid “news” outlets. There is proof that Khashoggi went to the Saudi consulate in Turkey, that he has not been seen since, that it is likely he was killed by Saudi government officials, and that the president of the U.S. has repeatedly told reporters that he’s hesitant to act because of pricey contracts with Saudi Arabia for military equipment that add 1.5 billion dollars in revenue to workers manufacturing that equipment.
https://twitter.com/Reddragon1951/status/1051842765187887104
In other words, the president is telling the rest of the world that America’s silence on human rights abuses can be bought, even when those abuses are perpetrated against American residents.
J Castro a few minutes ago seemed to make an explosive claim that Khashoggi was on the enemies list that Kushner leaked to MBS. Any thoughts?
— Jen Moody (@JimMood50830760) October 19, 2018
It was The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, who reported Mohammed bin Salman’s boasts after he met with Kushner in Riyadh.
‘Salman has since bragged about using classified intelligence from Kushner as part of a crackdown on ‘corrupt’ princes and businessmen in Saudi Arabia. He said the intelligence from Kushner included information on those who were disloyal to Salman and who were his ‘enemies’, insiders tell DailyMail.’
Those claims are being tied to the detention of other Saudi royals and enemies of the crown prince who were detained in a luxury hotel who reported physical abuse and imprisonment and some have speculated that Khashoggi’s death may be tied to that “enemies list,” as well. There are no credible reports tying those boasts to the death of Khashoggi at this time.
This might be some of the "reporting" that Castro is referencing. Note:
1. It was an "enemies list" rather than a "hit list"
2. It pertains to now infamous hotel detentions, not necessarily to Khashoggihttps://t.co/NPNbkFzFWa— Voice of The Mute (@eduardoauthor) October 19, 2018
Castro took immediate criticism for his statement, as he should have. Until a credible allegation is made about that “enemies list” in terms of Khashoggi’s death, our elected officials do not need to spread that fear or those unfounded claims to win political points with voters.
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