Today. The family of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist murdered
in Saudi Arabia. Istanbul Consulate wrote to President Biden asking
him to intervene in the detention of one of Portuguese lawyers. The
United Arab Emirates sentenced that lawyer to three years in prison
the same day President Biden met with that country's president, It
raises the question of what President Biden got out of his Middle
East trip and of the balance between human rights and pragmatic foreign
policy. Nick Schifrin delves into that debate.
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A meeting with the leader of what critics call a brutal regime. A
fist bump with a crown prince accused of persecuting and approving
the murder of his enemies. Really good to see you again Shake.
And warm greeting for the president of a country, the State Department
says, arbitrarily arrests and tortures detainees or rewind
a meeting with a leader at the center of a changing region. Greetings
with a 36 year old who helps control oil and will be a regional power
broker for decades, and the conversation with the president helping
integrate the region with Israel. Debate between an idealistic and
realistic foreign policy is not new.
I know it's late, but thank you for being here. But it's one president.
Biden faced head on this trip, saying he could juggle both the U.
S and Saudi Arabia talked about a half dozen topics and president
Biden said he confronted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about
the U. S intelligence conclusion that Salman approved the 2018 murder
of journalist Jamal Has Shawqi in Saudi Arabia is Istanbul consulate.
He basically said that he
He He was not personally responsible for it. I indicated I probably
was. This chip is about once again positioned America in this region
for the future. I'm very disappointed. Honestly, in this trip
safe is an Egyptian filmmaker and activist. Her brother, Ala. Abdel
Fattah, is one of Egypt's most prominent political prisoners. He's
been on a hunger strike now for 109 days.
Ah has been arrested three times in the last nine years since President
Abdel Fattah al Sisi in the military seized power. Why did President
Biden grant him that handshake without conditioning? Any
Human rights concessions, even forcing CC to at least pretend to
care about human rights. How's your brother doing it slowly dying,
But he's trying to slow down his death as much as possible because
he's fighting this for his life. Right CC has managed to oppress
the society and all sectors like human rights defenders are imprisoned
just normal females who like make
Tiktok videos wearing some revealing clauses are in prison. Political
opposition from Islamist background in prison In a nutshell. Egypt
as deeply unstable and this is, uh, this is just the plane, you know,
authoritarian regime. The president says that while dealing with
President Sisi and other regional leaders, he does bring up human
rights.
What policy? Would you rather see President Biden pursuit. Bringing
up human rights? Uh, confidentially secretly is something and being
vocal about human rights is another thing. The Egyptian regime understand
very well that when when Western governments are only bringing up
human rights in private diplomacy that they don't have to interpret
this seriously, it was important for the president to travel to the
Gulf.
To really reset the relationships. Turn the page. If you will. General
Firestein is the former U. S ambassador to Yemen and a distinguished
fellow at the Middle East Institute. We continue to look to the region
as a prime source of of energy, and that's going to continue for
many years into the future. Why is it important for President Biden
to have met not only with Saudi leaders but also leaders, including
President Sisi of Egypt.
If part of the objective of the president's travel to the region
was to expand the scope of regional defense and security integration
to include Israel and the architecture than having Egypt participate
in those conversations, having Jordans
Participate in those conversations is also going to be important.
President Biden vowed to put human rights at the center of his foreign
policy. Has he gone against his vow by fist, bumping or shaking hands
with regional leaders who have
Bad records on human rights. I think that the president was very
clear that it's going to continue to be a aspect of US foreign policy.
But it can't be the only issue that United States bases its policies
on. We don't have, uh, the the opportunity.
Uh or the luxury of only looking at, uh, our foreign relations through
that single aperture.
Administration simultaneously blocked $130 million in military aid
to Egypt over human rights concerns.
Approved $2 billion worth of military cargo planes and radars. Sonars
Safe says the policy debate is not either or relationship between
Egypt and and the U. S. Is so strong that if at the aesthetics level
the administration raises human rights, it will have a positive effect
on our situation inside without really undermining the relationships.
The debate will continue, even if President Biden wants to move on.
Asked whether he regrets the Crown Prince Fist bump
But there's no escaping those questions. When the U. S calls these
countries and these leaders, allies and partners for the PBS news