Taking money from murderers

The Washington Post reported that such lucrative contracts have been viewed without any scruples.

But evidence is mounting that Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is implicated in the reported murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Saudi diplomatic property in Istanbul.

Popular blogger Pat Lang says he has “never worked in retirement for any company that did contract work for Saudi Arabia,” adding that it was a deliberate choice for him. Lang is a Washington insider.

“When I arrived in Saudi Arabia many years ago to be the military attaché in the US Embassy, I discovered that my five immediate predecessors were all retired from the US Army and working in Saudi Arabia for ‘big bucks’.

“How could it be I thought that the chief US military intelligence officers in the embassy who had been Counselors of Embassy could be doing that? Simple, they had all been bought and paid for,” says Lang.

“I did not follow that path. Throughout my tour of duty there I relentlessly told the story in my office’s reporting of the military ineptitude of the Saudis and the corrupt practices common in the awarding of all foreign military sales contracts to The Kingdom.

“The goal of these hard money purchases from the US, the British, the French, etc. was always the same. It was the enrichment through ‘commissions’ of all Saudi and foreign agents in the transactions.”

Lang says in the case of the foreigners the “pay off” was often made after retirement from government service.

“I made this clear in my office’s reporting, and the DIA of that time stood bravely behind me even as they were threatened by the ‘friends’ of Saudi Arabia in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Lang says he was personally threatened with career destruction by the USAF major general who headed the US Military Training Mission (USMTM) if he did not desist from exposing the situation.

“It is nevertheless true that many, many retired senior military officers and diplomats have sold themselves either directly to Saudi enterprises in that country or to foreign companies which represent the House of Saud. Their contribution to the enabling of the spread of Wahhabi fanaticism throughout the world is immeasurable,” Lang added.

“It should be noted that this enabling persisted under both Democratic and Republican Administrations,” he said.

Meanwhile, 22 Senators signed a request to US President Trump to investigate the Khashoggi case under the Global Magnitsky Act.

The Trump administration has 120 days to finish the investigation and to report back to the Senate. Any person or organisation found to be involved in the kidnapping and possible murder of Khashoggi could then face US sanctions.

According to rumours, the Saudi prince Mohammad bin Salman is offering billions to purchase the video of the Khashoggi killing the Turkish government claims to have before the 120 days are counted.

The war on Yemen, the Qatar blockade, sponsoring terror and now the Khashoggi assassination – may be becoming too costly for the Saudis and their paid consultants.