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March 14, 2019

Pompeo Defends Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Reports of Torture
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The son of a Harvard-trained doctor and dual Saudi and U.S. citizen is
set to appear with lawmakers today to speak out about the torture he
says his father is enduring at the hands of Saudi Arabia. Walid Fitaihi
is a Harvard-trained doctor and hospital owner who's been detained by
Saudi police since late 2017. His son, Ahmed Fitaihi, says his father
has suffered whippings and electric shocks in prison, after he was swept
up along with 200 other prominent Saudis in a mass arrest ordered by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This comes a day after the State
Department issued its annual human rights report, criticizing Saudi
Arabia for the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi,
while defending continuing U.S. support for the kingdom. Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo said, "The policy of this Administration is to engage
with other governments, regardless of their record, if doing so will
further U.S. interests."


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