Tensions rise between US and Saudi Arabia? USA introduces new visa restriction policy on Saudi individuals
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Washington, Feb 27: The USA has imposed new visa restrictions on 76 individuals of Saudi Arabia, who are believed to have been engaged in threatening dissidents overseas. According to the statement of the US State Secretary of the Biden administration, Antony Blinken has announced 'Khashoggi Ban.' The Khashoggi Ban is a new visa restriction policy.
The statement was made just after a US report implicted Saudi's crown prince, Muhammed bin Salman, of approving the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Jamal Khashoggi was a vocal critic of the Saudi regime, who was killed on Oct 2, 2018 in Turkey. He was visiting the place to obtain paperwork certifying his divorce from his former wife Alaa Nassif, in order to be able to marry his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. In the concerned matter of doubtful killing of Khashoggi, US Secretary Blinken has said that the world was horrified by the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who paid with his life to express his beliefs.
Although the USA is determined about maintaining healthy bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia, Blinken has firmly stated that President Joe Biden strongly wishes the partnership to reflect US values. Therefore, the statement read, "To that end, we have made absolutely clear that extraterritorial threats and assaults by Saudi Arabia against activists, dissidents, and journalists must end. They will not be tolerated by the United States."
The Khashoggi ban will allow the State Department to impose visa restrictions on individuals who are, "acting on behalf of a foreign govt, are believed to have been directly engaged in serious, extraterritorial counter-dissident activities, including those that suppress, harass, surveil, threaten, or harm journalists, activists, or other persons perceived to be dissidents for their work, or who engage in such activities with respect to the families or other close associates of such persons."
Taking a stand further on the Jamal Khashoggi murder incident, the Biden administration has submitted an unclassified report to the Congress on Feb 26, providing transparency on the horrific killing. The statement submitted in the Congress reads, "Alongside the transmission of the report, and as part of the President's pledge, the US Govt is announcing additional measures to reinforce the world's condemnation of the crime, and to push back against govts that reach beyond their borders to threaten and attack journalists and perceived dissidents for exercising their fundamental freedoms."
The report titled 'Assessing the Saudi Govt Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi' was released on Feb 26 by the US' Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) which claimed that the Crown Prince Salman had approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The report read, "We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi." The report was released a day after US President Joe Biden had a telephonic conversation with Saudi King Salman, whereby, according to the reports provided by the White House, no mention was made of the killing.