The subtext of the message sent out by the Biden administration in publishing its intelligence report on the 2018 killing in Turkey of journalist Jamal Khashoggi will go down well with autocrats around the world. The promise to put human rights at the centre of US diplomacy need not unduly worry the likes of Vladimir Putin or Recep Erdogan. President Donald Trump had refused to make the report public, knowing it would fuel the demand for sanctions or criminal action against Prince Mohammed. Cutting off Saudi Arabia could also push its leaders toward China. Biden will regret his caution.

Source: The Irish Times March 01, 2021 00:00 UTC