Human rights vs elections: Who wins? Biden's 'support for human rights can be sold for a smidgen of oil'
Joe Biden, MBS fist bump
The promises of a politician are fickle in nature. Every politician makes campaign promises that turn out to be bogus, and for US President Joe Biden his 2019 vow to declare Saudi Arabia a "paraiah" due to its human rights record is now one among that long list. He had made this promise after a report by US intelligence services said that the desert country's crown prince and de-facto leader Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was behind the 2018 killing and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, the recent picture of Biden fist-bumping MBS has undermined the leader's strong words.
With the fist bump, the US President has tarnished his long-cultivated reputation as a champion of human rights.
Watch |Biden attends Arab leaders summit: 'Will not allow walk away from West Asia'
As the Post's CEO Fred Ryan said the fist bump in Jeddah "was worse than a handshake -- it was shameful".
"It projected a level of intimacy and comfort that delivers to MBS the unwarranted redemption he has been desperately seeking."
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
This photo was taken outside a palace in Jeddah. It was promptly circulated by official Saudi news agencies before becoming viral on social media, reports AFP.
The White House hastily prepared for Biden to make a brief speech. As per AFP, Biden says he brought up the Khashoggi case "at the top" of his conversation with Prince Mohammed, and he was explicit about "what I thought of it at the time and what I think of it now."
"My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear, and I have never been quiet about talking about human rights," he said at a press conference.
The fist bump, though, had already become the tour's signature moment.
Biden had earlier said that the trip was made "to promote US interests", which is seen as a likely reference to the need to persuade the top petroleum exporter in the world to increase oil output. After all, rising gas prices could hurt his party's chances in the upcoming midterm elections in November.
Human rights advocates in the US do not sympathise with Biden.
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote on Twitter, "The autocrats of the world are smiling." He also compared Biden to his predecessor Donal Trump.
"Biden's support for human rights can be sold for a smidgen of oil."
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch WION LIVE HERE:
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
