Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is 'reckless', 'ruthless' and has gone 'full gangster' with his actions over the past two years, which is reminiscent of a villain 'from a James Bond film' - US Senators
Retired four-star Army General John Abizaid testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing to be US ambassador to Saudi Arabia on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, March 6, 2019.
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. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Riyadh government, was killed at a Saudi consulate in Turkey in October. His death fueled simmering discontent in Washington over Saudi Arabia's human rights record and heavy civilian casualties in Yemen's civil war, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Ir an-backed Houthi rebels.
It was also the confirmation hearing for Matthew Tueller, the current US ambassador to Yemen and Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Iraq. He also defended US support for t he coalition.Lawmakers have been sharply critical of Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful Saudi crown prince. Some blame him for Khashoggi's killing and other human rights abuses.
Senator Bob Menendez, the committee's ranking Democrat, acknowledged the strategic importance of Saudi ties, amid threats from Iran. As the hearing continued, Republican Senator Marco Rubio said bin Salman had gone "full gangster," an assertion repeated by another Republican, Senator Ron Johnson.
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