Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the facts had ‘not been established’ in the killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist
By MEE staff Published date: 8 June 2022 19:47 UTC | Last update: 19 hours 27 mins ago
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to answer questions on why Israel has not been held accountable over the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, despite eyewitness testimony, media investigations and her employer blaming Israeli forces for her death.
During a Summit of the Americas event in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Abby Martin, the host of the independent documentary and interview series The Empire Files, asked Blinken why there have been “absolutely no repercussions” for Israel over Abu Akleh’s killing, or for Saudi Arabia for the killing of Middle East Eye columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
“Secretary Blinken, what about Shireen Abu Akleh?” asked Martin. “She was murdered by Israeli forces. CNN just agreed to this. These are our two greatest allies in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Israel. They have murdered American journalists and there have been absolutely no repercussions.
“Why is there no accountability for Israel or Saudi Arabia for murdering journalists?”
Blinken responded by saying: “I deplore the loss of Shireen. She was a remarkable journalist, an American citizen.”
After Martin objected to Blinken’s assertion that the evidence in the case was not yet clear, the secretary pushed back: “I’m sorry, with respect, [the facts] have not yet been established.”
“We are looking for an independent, credible investigation. When that investigation happens, we will follow the facts, wherever they lead. It’s as straightforward as that,” he said.
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