What options does the US have in response to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi?

Question

The explanation by the Saudi's have been ever changing. First it was a flat denial of his death, now they've acknowledged it once video evidence was presented the the Turkish media.

Saudi Arabia claimed he died in a fistfight involving more than a dozen Saudi officials at the country's consulate in Istanbul.

After 18 days in which it insisted it had no involvement in the journalist's disappearance, Riyadh asserted that Khashoggi died as a result of the altercation after he had come to the consulate to obtain paperwork needed for his forthcoming wedding. An announcement carried on Saudi state TV said discussions between Khashoggi and officials at the consulate quickly turned violent, and ended in his death. Those responsible then tried to cover it up, a Saudi statement said.

Trump made the remarks Friday during a meeting with defense industry executives in Arizona, where he boasted about the deals he’s forged with the Saudis and reiterated his opposition to canceling what he says is a $110 billion deal for U.S. weaponry the Saudis intend to buy.

“I think we’re getting close to solving a very big problem,” Trump said, adding that he found the Saudi explanation credible that Khashoggi died after an altercation. “I think it’s a good first step.”

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.

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."

Which such a large military contract at stake, what can the US really do especially one of the few allies in the Middle East?

Answer 1

Excellent question. The answer is, unfortunately, nothing of any legal value. Not only was Khashoggi not an American citizen, he was neither detained nor killed in any American jurisdiction. As such, the most that can be done is issuing a statement that we don't condone extra-judicial punishments.

It's important to note that this type of thing goes on throughout the world, including by many of our other allies. It's something called "sovereignty." If the U.S. were to break off diplomatic relations and boycott goods and services by every nation who put someone to death over something with which the U.S. doesn't agree, we would be alienated from the rest of the world. We certainly wouldn't have anything from China, and we would have absolutely zero influence with the governments of virtually all of Asia, Africa, and even many in Europe.