Jamal Khashoggi’s US lawyer sentenced to three years following detention in UAE
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President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East came to an end with yet more controversy after it emerged that an American lawyer who previously represented murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been detained in the UAE.
US citizen Asim Ghafoor was detained at Dubai airport on Thursday while travelling to Istanbul for a family wedding and was held on charges related to an in absentia conviction for money laundering. Mr Ghafoor reportedly had no prior knowledge of any conviction.
UAE state media said on Saturday that the attorney had been sentenced to three years in prison.
On Saturday, Mr Biden met with UAE President Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and invited him to visit the US before the year is out.
He was one of multiple Middle Eastern leaders Mr Biden met in Saudi Arabia on Saturday before leaving aboard Air Force One.
New details also emerged about Friday’s controversial meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – the man US intelligence found responsible for ordering the Khashoggi’s murder.
When Mr Biden confronted MBS about the killing – after a friendly fist-bump – he denied the accusation and fired back about the US’s own controversies.
Jamal Khashoggi’s American lawyer sentenced to three years in UAE prison
An American lawyer who represented murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been sentenced to three years in prison in the UAE after being detained at an airport amid President Joe Biden’s controversial trip to the Middle East.
Asim Ghafoor, a US citizen and Virginia-based civil rights attorney, was convicted of tax evasion and money laundering related to a tax evasion operation in the US, UAE state media WAM reported on Saturday.
The Abu Dhabi Money Laundering Court sentenced him to three years in prison and a fine of three million dirhams ($816,748 USD), then deportation from the UAE, two days after he was arrested at Dubai airport.
State media said that his conviction came after US authorities reached out to their UAE counterparts for judicial assistance regarding their investigations of Mr Ghafoor for alleged tax evasion and making suspicious money transfers to the Middle Eastern country.
The US has not confirmed this version of events.The Independent has reached out to the US State Department to verify this account.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Jamal Khashoggi’s American lawyer sentenced to three years in UAE prison
UAE state media reported that Asim Ghafoor was convicted of tax evasion and money laundering
Biden fires back at reporters over controversial fist-bump with MBS
President Joe Biden fired back at reporters when he was questioned about his controversial fist-bump with the Saudi crown prince.
The US president landed back at the White House on Saturday night following his four-day trip to the Middle East.
On the White House lawn, he was asked by reporters if he regretted his fist-bump with the man who US intelligence concluded ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
“Why don’t you guys talk about something that matters? I’m happy to answer a question that matters,” Mr Biden responsed.
The president came under fire when he exchanged what appeared to be a friendly greeting with MBS ahead of their meeting in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Saudi official says Biden’s fist-bump with MBS was ‘a win’ for US president
A top Saudi official has claimed that President Joe Biden’s controversial fist-bump with MBS was “a win” for the US president.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN on Saturday that it was “quite normal” that the two leaders had exchanged “pleasantries” ahead of their meeting in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
“I don’t know why we’re hung up on a fist bump,” he said.
“I see the image as a win for President Biden. He got out of it a meeting with a key leader in the region.
“He got out of it, I think, reinvigoration of the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States.”
Mr Biden’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince was already a source of controversy.
US intelligence found that MBS was responsible for ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Mr Biden vowed on his 2020 campaign trail to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the killing,
The friendly greeting fuelled further outrage over the meeting.
Jill Biden laments husband’s stalled progress as president
Jill Biden publicly lamented her husband’s stalled progress as US president during an address to donors on Saturday night.
The first lady spoke at a private Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Nantucket, Massachussets, while President Joe Biden flew back from his four-day trip to the Middle East.
Dr Biden said that her husband’s “hopes and plans” for the country had been sidetracked by unexpected issues both in the US and overseas.
“[The President] had so many hopes and plans for things he wanted to do, but every time you turned around, he had to address the problems of the moment,” she said.
Bernie Sanders slams Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia
Senator Bernie Sanders has slammed President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia after US intelligence found the Saudi crown prince responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The progressive Democrat took aim at the US president’s controversial Middle East trip in an interview with ABC’s This Week on Sunday.
“You have a leader of that country who was involved in the murder of a Washington Post journalist,” he said.
“I don’t think that that type of government should be rewarded with a visit by the President of the United States.”
Mr Biden met with several Middle East leaders during his four-day trip to the region which was in part aimed at reaching agreements with oil-rich nations and, ultimately, easing the pain on Americans caused by the current sky-high gas prices.
Mr Sanders said that he understands oil was the main reason for the visit but said that the US should instead turn its attention to the oil companies who are “ripping off the American people”.
“I happen to believe that we have to tell the oil companies to stop ripping off the American people and if they don’t we should impose a windfall profits tax on them,” he said.
Biden accuses Saudi official of lying after they claimed they ‘didn’t hear’ him bring up Khashoggi with MBS
President Joe Biden has accused Saudi officials of lying after they claimed they “didn’t hear” him bring up the murder of US citizen and journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his meeting with MBS.
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir told a Fox News reporter on Saturday that he wasn’t aware of Mr Biden confronting the crown prince over his role in Khashoggi’s 2018 execution.
“I didn’t hear that particular phrase,” the Saudi minister said.
When Mr Biden landed back at the White House on Saturday night, he was asked if the official was telling the truth. “The Saudi foreign minister says he didn’t hear you accuse the crown prince of Khashoggi’s murder. Is he telling the truth?” asked a White House reporter.
Mr Biden firmly responded: “No.”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Biden accuses Saudi officials of lying over his confrontation with MBS over Khashoggi
Saudi officials gave conflicting accounts of Saudi crown prince’s meeting with President Joe Biden
US says oil producers to boost supplies after Biden trip
US officials have said that major oil producers are expected to boost supplies in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East.
Amos Hochstein, senior US State Department adviser for energy security, told CBS on Sunday that there is “room” for increased production in oil-rich nations and that he was “pretty confident” the US can expect to see “a few more steps” in the coming weeks.
“It’s not just about Saudi... We met with the GCC, and with Saudi Arabia. I’m not going to go into how much spare capacity there is in Saudi Arabia and in UAE and Kuwait etc,” he said.
“But there is additional spare capacity. There is room for increased production.”
Mr Biden’s trip to the Middle East aimed to strike a deal on oil production after everyday Americans have been left struggling with gas prices that have risen to 40-year highs.
No oil production deal announced after Middle East trip
President Joe Biden’s controversial trip to the Middle East aimed to help strike agreements with the oil-rich nations to increase oil production.
Gas prices in the US have risen to a 40-year high, causing a major headache for everyday Americans.
No specific deals around oil production were announced during or in the immediate aftermath of Mr Biden’s visit.
However, Mr Biden said he expects to see action in the coming weeks.
“Based on our discussions today, I expect we’ll see further steps in the coming weeks,” he said on Friday.
Saudi official says ‘balanced approach’ to oil production needed
A top Saudi official said that a “balanced approach” is needed to increasing oil production, following President Joe Biden’s four-day trip to the Middle East.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN that MBS was open to increasing the nation’s oil capacity but that it has limits.
“The most important point in the Crown Prince’s statement today was that we need to have a balanced approach towards our energy transition because the kingdom, while it’s increasing its capacity to 13 million barrels cannot go beyond that,” he said.
President Joe Biden’s controversial trip to the Middle East aimed to help strike agreements with the oil-rich nations to increase oil production and ease the burden of sky-high gas prices on everyday Americans.
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