Trump’s New Cold War
The coddling of Saudi Arabia is a symptom of the underlying malady—the administration’s enthusiasm for conflict with Iran.
Many people in Washington are angry at the Trump administration’s coddling of Saudi Arabia. They’re angry at Donald Trump’s efforts to exonerate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. Outrage is spreading to America’s participation in Riyadh’s war in Yemen, where a Saudi blockade on the country’s main port has left 8 million at risk of starvation. Good. Given that the U.S. military is providing arms, intelligence, and fuel for a Saudi bombing campaign the United Nations calls a “war crime,” the indignation is overdue.
But it’s too limited. The Trump administration’s support for Saudi barbarism is a symptom. The disease is its
