Khashoggi’s widow hopes Washington can help her find justice

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Oct 11, 2024 View in browser   By Daniel Lippman and Robbie Gramer In recent months, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, the widow of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has contacted all 100 senators to ask them for their help in urging the Saudis to agree to provide her with a financial settlement. | Chris McGrath/Getty Images With help from Phelim Kine, Joe Gould and Eric Bazail-Eimil Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off this Monday for Indigenous Peoples Day but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday.  The widow of slain Saudi dissident journalist JAMAL KHASHOGGI is on a campaign in Washington to try to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to get compensation and an apology for her husband’s death. In recent months, HANAN ELATR KHASHOGGI has contacted all 100 senators to ask them for their help in urging the Saudis to agree to provide her with a financial settlement — akin to the multi-million dollar houses and five-figure monthly payments given to Khashoggi’s children from another marriage. Before and after her husband’s killing at the hands of Saudi agents, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi faced months of house arrest and questioning in the UAE before fleeing the country in July 2020 and entering the U.S., where she filed for political asylum and hid at her attorney RANDA FAHMY’s house. She’s been trying for more than two years to get a settlement for the Saudi government and her lawyer has had several calls with a lawyer representing the Saudi embassy in Washington, but communication stopped in December 2022. She got replies from only nine lawmakers — Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair and Ranking Members BEN CARDIN (D-Md.) and JIM RISCH (R-Idaho), TIM KAINE (D-Va.), MARK WARNER (D-Va.), JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.), CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.), ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.), TINA SMITH (D-Minn.) and MAZIE HIRONO (D-Hawaii). Their responses ranged from saying they would raise the matter with the Saudis or the Biden administration, work with her home state senator Kaine on the issue or would take a look at the issue and get back to her, according to emails obtained by NatSec Daily. Asked about the case, Kaine said in a statement that Jamal Khashoggi’s “loved ones deserve justice, including direct acknowledgement by the Saudi government of its involvement in this heinous murder.” Spokespeople for the Saudi government didn’t provide a comment and Kellogg didn’t respond to a request for comment. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi currently lives in an old one-bedroom apartment, which her salary at a hotel in Virginia barely covers, and eats most of her meals at work because she doesn’t make enough money to often buy groceries. Her phone has been hacked by software used to target dissidents worldwide. “My life has been destroyed. I’m away from my family. I live alone and am isolated and the impact of this crime is not only harming myself, it is destroying my family's life in the Middle East as well,” she said in an interview with NSD, her first about her effort to win a settlement. Human rights advocates say that there is a long way to go for Khashoggi’s family to receive any justice in this case, which six years on still mars the U.S.-Saudi relationship. “His death is symbolic of the behavior of the Saudi government, which is committing human rights abuses within the Kingdom and beyond its border with impunity,” said SARAH YAGER, Washington director at Human Rights Watch. “Any family that hasn’t seen justice after their loved one was killed by a government matters, whether that’s 6 years or 60 years later." Saudi Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN reportedly called and expressed condolences to one of Khashoggi’s sons, Salah in 2018, in addition to Riyadh setting up payments for his children. When President JOE BIDEN visited Saudi Arabia in 2022, a U.S. reporter yelled a question at the crown prince asking if he would apologize to Khashoggi’s family. He declined to answer, keeping his eyes down with a small smirk on his face, as U.S. reporters documented at the time. Khashoggi’s widow said in the interview that she met with several top National Security Council officials in early 2022 to ask them to raise the issue with the Saudis when Biden visited the country later that year. The State Department told Khashoggi’s U.S. representative, DON BEYER (D-Va.), in a letter this past April obtained by NSD that the department would convey the concerns to the Saudis about “their legal team’s non-response to her settlement proposal.” Beyer told NSD in a statement that “a settlement is vital to provide some measure of justice and relief to Mrs. Khashoggi” after her husband’s killing. The Inbox SCARS OF SOLEIMANI: U.S. officials are coming to a troubling realization about Iran’s repeated threats to kill former President DONALD TRUMP and some of his former top generals and national security strategists, our own JOHN SAKELLARIADIS reports in a story out today: Tehran isn’t bluffing — and it isn’t giving up anytime soon. Iran has been openly threatening Trump and those who oversaw his national security strategy since January 2020, when Trump ordered a drone strike killing QASSEM SOLEIMANI, then Iran’s most powerful military general. But Iran’s efforts to kill Trump and former senior officials it has blamed for the Soleimani strike are even more extensive and aggressive than previously reported, according to a dozen officials familiar with the Iranian assassination threat. “This is historic, and different and new,” a former senior Trump administration official with knowledge of the Soleimani killing told John. “We’ve never had former senior national security officials, a Cabinet member, that have had this risk profile from a foreign adversary.” The U.S. is going to unprecedented lengths to stymie the threat from Iran, doling out more than $150 million each year to provide 24/7 security details to former officials like then-Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO and then-Head of U.S. Central Command Gen. KENNETH McKENZIE. But there are other officials lacking government protection who Iran has threatened too. And there’s no sense when the threat from Iran may end. “The Iranians are not good but they’re very enthusiastic,” said one former senior Pentagon official with knowledge of the assassination threat. “And of course, they’ve only got to get lucky once.” JETS FOR TRUMP: Trump’s campaign requested military jets for him to fly in and other additional security measures during the final weeks of the campaign, as the Washington Post’s JOSH DAWSEY and ISAAC ARNSDORF scoop. The unprecedented requests came after campaign advisers received information from the government that Iran was actively plotting to kill him and follows on the heels of two botched assassination attempts against the former president in recent months. Reporters asked Biden about the matter on Friday. “As long as he doesn’t ask for F-15s, I've told the department to give him every single thing he needs … as [if] he were a sitting president,” Biden said. “If it fits into that category, that’s fine.” LEBANON ESCALATION: Four U.N. peacekeepers were injured when Israeli forces apparently fired on U.N. outposts in southern Lebanon in separate incidents on Thursday and Friday. This drew sharp condemnation from Western powers and marked the latest sign of the escalating conflict between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group. France and Italy summoned Israeli ambassadors to their respective countries to demand answers, as our own VICTOR GOURY-LAFFONT, LAURA KAYALI and ELENA GIORDANO report. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, has some 10,000 peacekeepers in southern Lebanon tasked with keeping peace along the border with Israel. France and Italy both supply troops to the mission. These peacekeepers are now vulnerable to being caught in the crossfire of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel said that Hezbollah fighters have been operating near U.N. outposts. France's foreign ministry condemned the attack on Friday as “deliberate” and said it constitutes a “serious violation of international law.” The United Kingdom said it was “appalled” by Israel’s alleged actions. U.S. Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN spoke with his Israeli counterpart, YOAV GALLANT, on Thursday and “emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of UNIFIL force,” according to a Pentagon readout of their call. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike in central Beirut Thursday night killed 22 people and injured 117, according to the Lebanese government. The strike reportedly targeted WAFIQ SAFA, a senior Hezbollah leader. An unnamed Lebanese security source told Reuters that he survived the strike. DIE FOR PUTIN? STEVEN SEAGAL, a U.S. actor famous for starring in mediocre 90s TV action films and an outspoken devotion to Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN, claimed in a new documentary he was ready to fight for Russia and “die if need be.” The documentary, titled “In the Name of Justice” and shown on Russian state television, offers up the latest example of how pro-Kremlin propaganda outlets are trying to rally support for Putin’s war in Ukraine, as the Kyiv Independent’s NATE OSTILLER reports. Seagal, 72, gained Russian citizenship in 2016 and moved to Moscow in 2021, reportedly to escape U.S. government fines and evade allegations of sexual assault by multiple women. The Russian foreign ministry gave him a lengthy honorary title of “Special Representative for Russia-U.S. Cultural Links, Cultural and Historical Heritage.” DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of the national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring DHRUVA JAISHANKAR, executive director of the Observer Research Foundation America think tank. Jaishankar has two favorites, depending on the season. For those cold winter months, it’s the Boulevardier, with whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari. He says it’s the “ideal drink to sip in a dark tavern on a rainy and cold, dreary day” while waiting for warmer and sunnier months to hit. And when they do? He’s all about the Pimm’s Cup, the classic British cocktail with the gin-based liqueur, lemon juice, ginger ale, cucumbers and mashed fruit. “It’s perfect for sipping out on the lawn in sunny weather,” he says, and it’s hard to disagree. The weather forecast in Washington at least shows we have a little time left to enjoy the Pimm’s Cup before we transition to Boulevardier season, so cheers to enjoying both! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND! Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1 A message from Lockheed Martin: Constantly evolving to meet emerging threats. In today’s world, you need to spot the threats before they’re seen. That’s why Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security® means pushing the boundaries of defense tech to build a new standard of deterrence and protection. Learn more.   ELECTION 2024 POTTINGER TEASES POSSIBLE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ROLE: Trump’s former deputy national security adviser MATT POTTINGER won’t disavow a possible role in a potential second Trump administration. “I’ve learned never to turn down a job I haven’t been offered,” Pottinger said at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies event on Thursday afternoon. Pottinger was a driving force behind the Trump administration’s China policy but resigned on Jan. 6, 2021, after Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. Pottinger said that China’s leader XI JINPING has reason to worry regardless of who wins next month’s U.S. presidential election. “If President Trump wins, he has made it pretty clear that he intends to raise the costs further of exporting goods and services from China to the United States,” Pottinger said, adding that tariffs are “his preferred weapon, but in his first term he was the first one to start experimenting with export controls.” He argued that Vice President KAMALA HARRIS’ commitment to continue supporting Ukraine in fending off Russia would also be a headache for Beijing. “China would love to see the United States pull the rug out from under Ukraine, and have Ukraine fail — that would be a huge benefit from Xi Jinping’s perspective,” Pottinger said. On The Hill HELP FOR GOLD STAR FAMILIES: A bipartisan bill introduced Friday aims to ease healthcare costs for spouses of fallen service members by extending their current benefits indefinitely, as our own JOE GOULD reports. The Gold Star Spouse Healthcare Enhancement Act, sponsored by Reps. MARCY KAPTUR (D-Ohio) and DON BACON (R-Neb.), would allow eligible spouses to retain “active-duty family member” healthcare status beyond the current three-year limit. In a statement, Kaptur called it “one small way we can honor the debt” owed to these families. Currently, surviving spouses are reclassified to "retired family member" status after three years, resulting in higher fees and out-of-pocket expenses. The legislation would remove this limitation, ensuring that Gold Star spouses are not financially penalized after losing a loved one in service. How much it would cost taxpayers and exactly how many spouses would benefit under the bill was not in their announcement, though Bacon said that "thousands of Gold Star spouses" face higher costs under existing law.     The Complex A CHEAPER OPTION: The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency is casting a wide net to find “low-cost” interceptors to “dramatically decrease” the cost of missile defense, with potential demonstrations starting in 2025, as Joe writes in. The announcement reflects a new scramble by the U.S. military to find ways to defend against the proliferation of drones and missiles used in the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts that won’t entirely break the bank. With the Navy using $2 million Standard Missile-2s to intercept $2,000 drones by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, there’s a growing recognition in Washington that this sort of math is unsustainable. At the same time, advanced missile threats are evolving with the development of faster, more maneuverable hypersonic missiles and advanced ballistic missiles that can change their flight paths, making them harder to detect and intercept. Broadsides SHOTS FIRED: MARK MILLEY, the former top U.S. Army general who Trump tapped to be chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, lambasted the Republican presidential nominee as “fascist to the core” and said “no one has ever been as dangerous to this country.” Milley’s comments are the latest explosive revelations to come from renowned journalist BOB WOODWARD’s forthcoming new book, War. Milley joins a cadre of former top Trump officials and Cabinet members who have vocally opposed his return to power ahead of the elections. That list also includes former Defense Secretary MARK ESPER and former national security adviser JOHN BOLTON. A message from Lockheed Martin: A bigger perspective to the battlespace. Seeing the whole picture is Lockheed Martin’s vision of 21st Century Security® – innovating defense tech to deliver answers exactly when and where they’re needed most. Learn more.   TRANSITIONS — GEORGE SALMOIRAGHI is now director of cybersecurity planning and operations at the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House. He most recently was senior policy adviser at the Treasury Department. What to Read — ZIA WEISE, MOHANNAD AL-NAJJAR, MAY BULMAN, ANDRES MOURENZA and GIACOMO ZANDONINI, POLITICO: The EU is helping Turkey forcibly deport migrants to Syria and Afghanistan — MEGAN DUBOIS, Foreign Policy: “Made in America” is on the ballot in Wisconsin — AKSHAI VIKRAM, Just Security: Trump’s Record, Rhetoric Suggest Second Term Could Prove Fatal to Nuclear Nonproliferation Tuesday Today — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, 9 a.m.: A new leader in Indonesia: What are the implications for the United States? — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9 a.m.: Employing 'non-peaceful' means against Taiwan: The implications of China's anti-secession law — Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, 10 a.m.: Ukraine's energy sector: Short-term threats and long-term prospects — Center for a New American Security, 3 p.m.: A discussion on “the Army's role in the Indo-Pacific, its contributions to the Joint Force, and USARPAC's (United States Army Pacific) new Theater Army Strategy" with Gen. CHARLES FLYNN — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3 p.m.: Pentagon priorities amid polycrises with Deputy Secretary of Defense KATHLEEN HICKS — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 5 p.m.: Book discussion on MICK RYAN’s "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire" Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who will never get an offer to join our administration. Thanks to our producer, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing, who is a driving force behind our administration’s China policy.   Follow us on Twitter Robbie Gramer @RobbieGramer Eric Bazail-Eimil @ebazaileimil   Follow us

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