{"id":59441,"date":"2018-10-27T05:43:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-27T05:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/27\/if-us-saudi-arabia-split-over-journalists-murder-will-troops-ever-be-able-to-leave-syria\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:03:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:03:23","slug":"if-us-saudi-arabia-split-over-journalists-murder-will-troops-ever-be-able-to-leave-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/10\/27\/if-us-saudi-arabia-split-over-journalists-murder-will-troops-ever-be-able-to-leave-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"If US, Saudi Arabia split over journalist\u2019s murder, will troops ever be able to leave Syria?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MANAMA, Bahrain \u2014 Saudi Arabia\u2019s murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi has put at risk the overall plan to stabilize the Middle East, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a major policy speech here Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis&#8217; words were the most direct and harshest by the Trump administration to date against Saudi Arabia, which is still partnered with the U.S. in ongoing operations in Yemen, and is considered a vital partner to be able to fully counter Iran in Syria and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all,&#8221; Mattis told a packed room of defense ministers and international security experts at the annual Manama Dialogue Saturday. The killing \u201cundermines regional stability at a time it is needed most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/10\/24\/us-house-bill-would-close-door-on-saudi-arms-sales\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1052835418.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US House bill would close door on Saudi arms sales<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A bipartisan group of 21 House lawmakers have introduced a bill to immediately stop all military sales and aid to Saudi Arabia\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saudi Arabia admitted to killing Khashoggi after the country\u2019s cover-up of his death was exposed by the Turkish government. The backlash in the days since has been severe, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2018\/10\/10\/us-senators-order-magnitsky-probe-as-riyadhs-capitol-hill-clout-plummets\/\" target=_blank>senior congressional leaders<\/a> and key investment banks distancing themselves from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, or MBS as he is commonly known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adel al Jubeir, Saudi Arabia\u2019s minister of foreign affairs, followed Mattis&#8217; remarks at the conference, and pushed back on world reaction to the murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis issue has become fairly hysterical,\u201d Jubeir said, blaming the media for the intense reaction so far. Jubeir did say that six officials have been dismissed to date, on top of another 18 it has arrested in connection with the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pushing harder on the kingdom to reveal all the facts and officials involved in the attack might prove difficult for the U.S., as President Donald Trump has counted on Saudi Arabia to commit both troops and money in Syria to relieve pressures on U.S. forces and war spending there, and have a larger role countering Iran. For example, this spring Saudi Arabia said it was open to building <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/mideast-africa\/2018\/08\/29\/what-are-the-chances-an-arab-nato-will-work\/\" target=_blank>an Arab force<\/a> to eventually replace the estimated 2,000 U.S. troops operating in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now the U.S. is reassessing whether Khashoggi\u2019s murder has put those plans at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDue to the gravity of the situation,\u201d Mattis told the conference, the U.S. is still assessing the \u201cimplications of this incident within our broader strategic framework.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/10\/18\/will-congress-really-cancel-us-saudi-arms-deals-its-complicated-but-let-us-explain\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"195\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-935014004.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Will Congress really cancel US-Saudi arms deals? It\u2019s complicated, but let us explain<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Everything you wanted to know about U.S.-Saudi arms sales and the politics around them, but were afraid to ask.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis&#8217; statements, which were contained in as-prepared remarks for the International Institute for Strategic Studies 2018 conference, raised questions as to whether the U.S. would instead turn to other regional partners, such as Qatar to counter Iran\u2019s supply and support for militants in both Syria and Yemen, or whether Mattis was signalling to regional defense leaders that they should still partner with Saudi Arabia, but not necessarily with its controversial crown prince.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis said that even as the U.S. moves forward with additional punitive measures in the wake of the murder, it will continue to support a \u201cpeople-to-people partnership&#8221; with Saudi Arabia, a statement notable for its lack of mention of MBS. The crown prince is suspected to have been involved in the decision to murder Khashoggi, an allegation he has denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. needs Saudi Arabia in order to maintain what Mattis described as \u201ctwin imperatives\u201d in the region \u2014 working with Saudi Arabia to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2018\/09\/26\/top-dems-back-measure-to-end-us-support-in-yemen-war\/\" target=_blank>stop Yemen\u2019s civil war<\/a>, and to get it to increase its role in Syria to relieve demands on the U.S. \u2014 while simultaneously seeking justice for the murder, Mattis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe United States\u2019 shared security interests with our Arab and Israeli partners remain, and our respect for the Saudi people is undiminished,\u201d he said. \u201cWe maintain our strong people-to-people partnership, knowing that with our respect must come transparency and trust.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Saturday, Mattis also reiterated that the U.S. is committed to staying in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2018\/09\/25\/the-white-house-just-revealed-massive-mission-creep-in-syria-heres-why\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3978211.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The White House has revealed massive mission creep in Syria. Here\u2019s why.<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The White House signaled a fundamental shift in the military mission for troops in Syria that would focus on Iran rather than ISIS.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis said a U.S. presence would remain in Syria for the long-haul, to \u201cexpand space for our diplomats to negotiate for long-term peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will remain engaged in the fight against extremists as long as they present a clear and present danger to our security and allied interests,\u201d Mattis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, extending the U.S. presence will mean added costs to the U.S. budget that Trump has previously been opposed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In March, Trump sought to offset some of those costs by asking the crown prince to contribute $4 billion to stabilization efforts in Syria. In the months since, the kingdom has only provided a few individual donations in the hundreds of millions apiece, the most recent was a $100 million contribution after news of Khashoggi\u2019s death surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For comparison, the U.S. has spent almost $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria and the combined costs of operations since 2014 against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq have topped $23 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The US needs Saudi Arabia for regional stability; but does that still include needing the crown prince?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":96672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,89,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3342],"class_list":["post-59441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RIGOATCZ3NF4PJ4E5AOAIG4BPY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2018\/10\/27\/if-us-saudi-arabia-split-over-journalists-murder-will-troops-ever-be-able-to-leave-syria\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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