Saudi Human Rights Abuses Come Into Focus for U.S. Business Leaders
*By Christian Smith*
President Trump's suggestion that "rogue killers" may be responsible for Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance suggests he may let Saudi Arabia off the hook for another violation, said Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch.
"It suggests that what President Trump is hoping for is that we will be able to sweep this under the rug as some great unsolved mystery for which, therefore, no consequences will flow," said Whitson, executive director of HRW's Middle East and North Africa Division, on Monday in an interview with Cheddar.
Following a call with Saudi King Salman ー who vehemently denied any involvement in Khashoggi's suspected abduction ー Trump suggested to reporters on Monday that the kingdom may not be culpable. The president added in a [tweet](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1051814214212485120) that he is dispatching Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "immediately" to meet with the King in person.
Khashoggi went missing on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to obtain a license to marry his Turkish fiancée. Saudi officials have repeatedly denied any knowledge of the journalist's whereabouts, but Turkish officials claim they have evidence to prove the Saudi dissident was killed while inside the consulate.
On Monday, the Saudi government permitted Turkish officials to inspect the consulate almost two weeks after Khashoggi first went missing. Although officials agreed to the investigation, Whitson said that the message from the Saudi government is clear.
"It has yet again shown the world that the Saudi government doesn't care about the law, doesn't care about basic human dignity, basic ethos of protecting people who enter your consulate, much less a prominent journalist," Whitson said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/president-trump-suggests-saudi-journalist-could-have-been-murdered-by-a-rogue-killer).
A legislative package to end the government shutdown appears on track. A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the bill after what's become a deepening disruption of federal programs and services. But hurdles remain. Senators are hopeful they can pass the package as soon as Monday and send it to the House. What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal has drawn criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied. The legislation includes funding for SNAP food aid and other programs while ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers. But it fails to fund expiring health care subsidies Democrats have been fighting for, pushing that debate off for a vote next month.
Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins to break down the SNAP funding delays and the human cost of the ongoing shutdown.
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