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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has acknowledged that Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman could have known of the murder of a dissident journalist – but said there would be no fallout anyway for Saudi-US relations.
“It could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said in a statement.
“We may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia.”
The gruesome murder of Khashoggi, who vanished after being lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, has hugely embarrassed Washington.
The killing torpedoed a powerful PR campaign led by the crown prince to show that the conservative Islamic state has embarked on a new reformist path.
It also threw into question the White House strategy to make MBS, as the royal is widely known, its main partner in the tinderbox region.
Trump has for weeks resisted accepting mounting evidence of Saudi government involvement in the Khashoggi killing – and accusations that MBS ordered the hit.
However, with The New York Times reporting that the CIA has definitively concluded that Prince Mohammed was involved, the focus turned to whether Trump would punish his Saudi partner or find a way to let it slide.
In his statement, released by the White House press office, Trump took the latter option, saying that the US-Saudi relationship was more important than the possible involvement in the crime of Prince Mohammed.
He noted that Saudi King Salman and the crown prince “vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr Khashoggi”.
Also, Saudi Arabia, he said, provides crucial help in the US struggle to contain Iranian ambitions, as well as having committed to $450 billion in US weapons contracts and other investments. In addition, the Saudis have helped in keeping oil prices low, Trump said.
“The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region,” he said.
Trump acknowledged a strong push in Congress for the United States to sanction MBS and take other action against the Saudi leadership.
“I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America,” he said.
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The authorities really need to rein this practice in
If 6500 horses were slaughtered for their meat with Dept of Agriculture approval, where is the market for this meat and is it sold as stated ie horse meat for human consumption so the purchaser is aware of exactly what it is they are buying ,my concern naturally is that it is being sold as beef.Additionally what health record is kept of these animals prior to slaughter, I assume the same standards relating to beef apply and the same age profile of animals ie 36 months at slaughter is also the rule and that these animals are veterinary assessed through their lives.
@Honeybee: horse meat is popular on the continent, that’s where it usually goes from factories here. Horses are to have a record of all medications on their passports, are are listed as either on or off the human consumption lists, depending on the medications and owners preferences. They do not require testing for tb, which is the biggest testing for cattle. No age profile, as this was brought in for cattle due to the instances of bse in older stock.
@Honeybee: fact is that veterinary standards for horses going to the factory is more stringent than that of cattle
@Liam Carlin: are more stringent
Giddy up
Would want to be a very fast horse nowadays not to get eaten.
What’s a microship?
@Doz: A boat
@Peter: A very small ship
@Doz: It’s a small ferry-shaped object used subcutaneously to identify an animal; not to be confused with a microchip, a large silicon wafer used to transport people and goods between islands. Confusingly, microchips sometimes carry animals carrying microships. :)
@Doz: I think they come with pocket battleship.
We’re already eating chlorinated chicken from Brazil, just labelled “Made in Ireland” as it’s cooked, sliced, diced and packaged here.
Shergar burger anyone !!.
@tommytukamomo: A stallion should never be mixed with a scallion
It seems unbelievably crude
That the kindred of Shergar
Could get mixed in a burger
In Monaghan’s Silvercrest food
Why the long face?
Ate the goverment asleep?? And the ESB scandal went unnoticed also
Is there a health risk with eating horse meat?
@Coco86: It’s not great for the horse…
@Coco86: No, if the horse is/has been checked by Veterinary professional at time of slaughter.
@Coco86: yes, in that it’s not traceable and so is not properly regulated.
@Coco86: Yes , if the horse has been on certain medications , the horse is not considered fit for human consumption. Horses are meant to be chipped and if given those meds , that would need to be recorded on their passport .
@Coco86: it was reported on the news that the horses were unfit for human consumption hence the falsifying of paperwork.
@Coco86: ya can get the trots
Springer’s final thought;
Who was supplying incorrectly labelled horsemeat throughout Europe?
Mafia et al.
Who do they need to get rid of?
Lots of people who may negatively impact profits.
What did folk not test for in meat samples?
Human DNA.
Let that one sink in over dinner folks ;)
Well horse, how’s she cuttin’.
What’s with the long face sir? Not enjoying ur burger?
Meat products like certain foods say may contain nuts etc … Should say may contain other meats .
Does anyone actually regularly buy horse meat?
@Hardly Normal: its popular on the continent not so much here.
@Hardly Normal: I lived in Holland around 2003 and someone told me they were into it over there.. I was a vegetarian at the time so I didnt investigate it further..haha…but that’s as far as my horse eating knowledge goes..
@Hardly Normal: the belgians
It appears that the journal.ie don’t want certain establishments mentioned
Free press is certainly not alive and well where these shower are concerned
@builditnow: well let’s just say the biggest restraunt in Ireland
Have certainly brough their chickens home to roost all the way from twiwan
All the laughs and Jokes and many stupid comments above indicate that some people don’t mind if our international reputation is again destroyed and export income is lost and the result of that sort of effect means less money to pay the bills and the social welfare and all the rest of the costs of running this little Republic . Shame on those gangsters whoever They are ! It’s isn’t a laughing matter at all at all.
@Terry Cahill: Just remember that the firm which owned and operated the operation with the rotten imported Polish horse meat was owned by Europe’s biggest beef baron and he used the ensuing stink as an excuse to reduce the price he was paying to his own Irish suppliers AND GOT AWAY WITH IT.
@Terry Cahill: could not agree with you more. Why is there always some b……..ls cropping up every so often, destroying the reputation. And no heads will roll, vets, managers or owners.Saints and scholars…….
@John Mc Donagh: again same old, same old as i mentioed above
To many neigh sayers on this site.
Christ lads if ye knew where mc Donald’s are sourcing their chicken ,you never look at a chicken again
Couldn’t eat a whole one, maybe a fallabella with chips and a Coke!
Ahhh horsesh#t…
Steak Tartare ..
Expensive when you can get it
What are the odds for a bovine only burger.
Must have got the hind leg of a one from ballydoyle last night in the chipper I scorched up the town to back a looser
Is it illegal to eat horse meat?
@sb: Only if you’re an ass!
Neigh,not again
on holidays in France at the min had horse steak twice it’s bloody lovely
Here we go again!
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