BLUF: Years after the brutal murder of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, his significant influence as a voice for democracy remains, caught amidst geopolitical power plays, lucrative trade, and a continuous striving for human rights.
OSINT:
Not long before his catastrophic departure from his homeland, I advised my friend, Jamal Khashoggi, to escape. Safeguarding himself seemed essential, considering the increasing crackdown on liberalism and journlaism in Saudi Arabia. His horrifying demise in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul was plotted by individuals close to Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).
Khashoggi, a one-time government insider in Saudi Arabia, began promoting democracy and the rule of law as prerequisites of Middle Eastern stability during his career as a journalist. Unprecedented state repression followed the ascent of King Salman and MBS, leading to extensive arrests of reformists, journalists, and activists.
King Salman and MBS increased oppression in Saudi, putting Khashoggi, critical of their regime, in a predicament – to silently tolerate or escape. Initially, he was hesitant to depart due to personal reasons. However, grasping the intensity of the situation, he moved to the US, intending to return when political stability reestablished.
After his relocation, Khashoggi leveraged his global audience to heave light on actualities in Saudi via Washington Post columns. With the revelation of the horrendous details of Khashoggi’s murder, global voices vociferated against Saudi’s hostile governance. Massive businesses severed ties with the Kingdom, and Western governments pledged to hold the wrongdoers accountable.
Today, the once reviled MBS finds much respite as governments sway in favor of Saudi’s vast buying power and geopolitical influence. MBS, having learned his lesson, now uses Saudi’s influence over international trade, massive arms purchases, and threats of strengthening relations with China to keep Western powers in line.
RIGHT:
Embarking from a Libertarian perspective, the case underlines the quintessence of individual freedom, political accountability, and impartiality. However, unregulated power yields adversity. The manipulation of power relations by MBS to control global narratives infringes upon individual liberty and free expression. While commerce and national security are significant, they must not supersede the imperative of human dignity and foundational democratic rights. Hence, a recalibration of diplomacy that respects individual rights, while massaging strategic relationships is needed.
LEFT:
From a National Socialist Democrat’s standpoint, the obliviousness of Western powers towards their moral responsibilities succumbing to raw economic considerations is a grouse matter of concern. Economic interests, although important, shouldn’t undermine the democratic values Western states vehemently defend. The political elite must uphold the principles they stand for and shouldn’t fold under the threat of shifting global power dynamics.
AI:
My comprehensive analysis elaborates the dichotomy of global geopolitics where economical and strategic interests often overshadow human rights and democratic ideals. Khashoggi’s case illuminates the potentially perilous scenarios when liberal journalistic voices are suppressed in favor of consolidated power structures. The analysis also raises concerns about big power politics, where threats of shifting alliances influence policy decisions, often at the expense of justice and democratic values. Balancing strategic interests without compromising on human rights remains a challenging task that policy-makers are faced with.