Bernie Sanders Calls Saudi Arabia’s Rulers ’Murderous Thugs’

Senator Bernie Sanders, the Democratic front-runner for US President, lambasted Saudi Arabia’s leadership during a town hall meeting on CNN, reaffirming his promise to pursue a more even-handed foreign policy in the Middle East. “For years, we have loved Saudi Arabia – our wonderful ally. The only problem is, the people who run that country are murderous thugs,” Sanders said on Tuesday.

The Vermont senator added that instead of “being really cozy” with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – whom he described as a “billionaire dictator” – Washington should try to resolve the issues between the kingdom and Iran to bring peace to the Middle East.

“We can bring the Saudis and the Iranians together, tell them that we’re sick and tired as a nation [of] spending trillions of dollars on endless wars,” Sanders said. “They’re going to have to get their act together. And we have the resources to help bring that about.”

The senator, who won the popular vote in the first two Democratic contests, also reiterated his stance that the United States should not ignore Palestinians’ needs while being supportive of Israel. The senator made similar remarks during a presidential debate in December when he said US foreign policy cannot be only pro-Israel, but must be “pro-Palestinian” as well.

Saudi Arabia faces criticism from human rights bodies, especially after the killing of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in 2018. The crime affected the Kingdom’s reputation at the level of global public opinion, and it also caused demands from members of Congress to reconsider relations with Saudi Arabia In addition to the war it is waging against Yemen.