Middle East Tour Yields Commercial Deals and Diplomatic Progress Yet Lacks Customary Emphasis on Human Rights Issues for Trump
Under the glaring desert sun, President Trump standing tall in Riyadh, slammed the U.S. for meddling in the Middle East's affair, hastily foreclosing an era of self-righteous, condescending lectures from Yank officials. The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was all ears, appreciating this change in tone from a nation that once dictated their rulers on how to steer their kingdom.
The message of reduced U.S. intervention in human rights Web, while expected among autocratic governments with dismal records on free speech and fair trials, was tough for those who fled the kingdom and listened from afar. Their concern lies in the indication that the U.S. might lessen their role as an imperfect yet potent advocate for human rights.
"It was heart-wrenching to witness," said Abdullah Alaoudh, son of a Saudi cleric still imprisoned by Crown Prince Salman. His father was one of many rounded up by the prince during his ascension to power.
Saudi Arabia, however, has been quietly releasing a few detainees, painting a rosier picture of its human rights record post international criticism and isolation. Yet, Abdullah's father remains locked up.
The Trump administration, in response, remained mum on the issue, with the White House spokeswoman asserting that the president’s speech celebrated the burgeoning relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, focusing on Middle East peace rather than human rights.
Human Rights in the Spotlight
Trump's second term tour, extending to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, was rather subdued on the human rights front compared to typical visits to autocratic nations with dismal human rights records. Security groups expressed concerns, but their cries were hushed, some even reticent. Saudi exiles in the U.S. also kept mum on social media. The administration faced scant questions about the president's push for the release of detained Americans or imprisoned activists.
The silence could be attributed to human rights improvements in Saudi Arabia; yet, it also bares an ominous reflection on the worsening human rights picture in the U.S.
For Saudi expats like Ibrahim Almadi, attempting to secure U.S. help in bringing his father back from Saudi Arabia was a futile effort. His father, now 75, had been jailed for critical tweets and is under an exit ban. Almadi endeavored to win a promise from a Republican lawmaker or official to urge Trump to take up his cause, but to no avail.
The Quiet Diminishment of Criticism
Some Saudis exiled in the U.S. have become more circumspect, fearing the same detentions and deportations that threatened immigrants and pro-Palestinian protesters under the Trump administration. The organization Democracy in the Arab World Now, founded by slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, advises Arab immigrants with uncertain immigration status to exercise caution.
The U.S. intelligence community holds the crown prince responsible for the 2018 plot to assassinate Khashoggi. Despite the prince's denial of involvement, President Biden initially vowed to marginalize Saudi royals. However, soaring gasoline prices in 2022 compelled Biden to make a trip to the oil-rich nation, resulting in an awkward fist bump with the prince.
In his second term, Trump has cozied up to the billionaire prince and other Gulf elites, eager for substantial investments in the U.S., while his sons are developing lucrative real estate projects in the region.
The human rights situation in Saudi Arabia remains flawed, with issues persisting in domains like labor exploitation, freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions, and capital punishment for non-lethal crimes. Women continue to face discrimination, despite some progress. The U.S. government's approaches under Presidents Trump and Biden have had varying effects on these issues, with the Trump administration often criticized for a forgiving stance and the Biden administration faced with criticism over arms sales.
International bodies, including the EU, the UN, and other organizations, have scrutinized Saudi Arabia's human rights record, raising concerns about executions and restrictions on civil and political rights.
- The U.S. government's silence on human rights issues during Trump's tour of the Middle East has raised concerns among Saudi exiles, with some fearing the same detentions and deportations that have threatened immigrants under the Trump administration.
- Despite President Biden's initial vow to marginalize Saudi royals following the 2018 plot to assassinate journalist Jamal Khashoggi, soaring gasoline prices in 2022 led to a trip to the oil-rich nation, resulting in an awkward fist bump with the crown prince.
- In response to international criticism and isolation, Saudi Arabia has been releasing a few detainees, painting a rosier picture of its human rights record. However, the case of Abdullah Alaoudh's imprisoned father still remains unresolved.
- The Trump administration's approach to human rights in Saudi Arabia has been criticized for its forgiving stance, with issues persisting in areas like labor exploitation, freedom of expression, arbitrary detentions, and capital punishment for non-lethal crimes.
- The human rights situation in the U.S. has also come under scrutiny, with concerns about the worsening human rights picture in the U.S. being a reflection of the quiet diminishment of criticism that has been observed among the administration.
