Smoking Bonesaw

In our last episode before the holidays, we take a look at the US-Saudi relationship. With President Trump standing by Mohammad bin Salman even as the CIA blames him for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, we discuss what weight human rights should have in foreign policy, whether Congress is reasserting its powers in national security matters, and what the United States should do with respect to Yemen. Bryan and Chris lament Navy's loss in the Army-Navy game and Bryan shares a personal interaction between his mother and the late President George H.W. Bush. Finally, in their recap of the Reagan National Defense Forum, we find out what Melanie keeps in her enormous purse, and where Bryan ranks in her choice of dinner mates.   Links Mike Pompeo, “The US-Saudi Partnership is Vital,” Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2018 Michael Singh, “The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East in the Post-Khashoggi Era,” War on the Rocks, December 10, 2018, Jonathan Berstein, "Judging John Kelly,” Bloomberg Opinion, December 11, 2018 Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute,  Laura Seligman and Elias Groll, “Khashoggi Report Hangs over Talks at Reagan Defense Forum, Mattis Accuses Putin of Election Meddling,” Foreign Policy, December 3, 2018 Karen Elliott House, “Rethinking Saudi Arabia,” Wall Street Journal, November 30, 2018 Emma Ashford and John Glaser, letter, “Saudi Move in Yemen: An Opening for Iran,” Wall Street Journal, November 23, 2018 Wounded Warrior Project, Annual Warrior Survey Aaron Blake, “President Trump’s Full Washington Post Interview Transcript, Annotated,” Washington Post, November 27, 2018 Jason Schwartz, “Weekly Standard Faces Uncertain Future after Holding its Ground against Trump,” Politico, December 4, 2018 Edward Wong and Michele Forsythe, “China’s Tactic to Catch a Fugitive Official: Hold His Two American Children,” New York Times, November 25, 2018, “Huawei Executive Meng Wanzhou Released on Bail in Canada,” BBC, December 12, 2018 Katie Bo William, “The Senate is Poised to Pass the Yemen Resolution. Now What?”, Defense One, December 6, 2018 Emma Ashford, “A Guide to Saudi Arabia’s Influence in Washington,” The New Republic, December 6, 2018 Nahal Toosi and Maryanne Levine, “Congress Looks to Usurp Trump’s Foreign Policy Powers,” Politico, December 5, 2018, Jesse Convertino, “Dog’s Unbridled Joy for Soldier’s Homecoming Goes Viral, Brings Smiles,” ABC News, November 29, 2018 “Dog Waits for Weeks at Owner’s Home Destroyed by Fire,” CBS News Los Angeles