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Pompeo Defends Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Reports of Torture

HeadlineMar 14, 2019

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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