Amjad Almunif

Last week, the media community over the world was shocked by astonishing new information, when the “Washington Post” revealed that Jamal Khashoggi was not writing his own articles, but instead his articles were dictated and guided to serve the Qatari propaganda, through Maggie Salem, the executive director of “Qatar International Foundation” in Washington D.C.
Ironically, The WaPo reaction to what’s perceived as one of the biggest journalistic scandals was so mild. It hasn’t even announced that it would investigate, nor the intention to do so. Literally, the Washington Post dealt with this information as if it’s breaking news rather than a penetration act by a foreign agent.

The Washington Post has always campaigned for press rights and protection of journalists, meanwhile preaching others on the values ​​it has repeatedly declared to embrace and vow to protect. This makes the paper in a position where it should take a firm and clear stance.

According to the recent Washington Post revelations about Khashoggi’s relationship with Qatar and the way his articles were guided and influenced by the Qatari agenda, the whole case could be subject to punishment under the “Foreign Agents Registration Act” since agents, in which those representing foreign interests on the American soil should disclose their relationship with the foreign power they work for, including disclosing all information and financial support in this regard.

The Washington Post can’t simply hide behind its slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness”, when it fails to prove its consistency to serve for such slogan. If the post needs to prove that it still holds up to the same principles that led to the revelations of Watergate, pentagon paper and the McCarthyism era, then it may need to start an investigation digging deeper in the background and other details of the story, otherwise it would be no different than other propaganda instrument in the hand of foreign powers, like Qatar and Erdoghan of Turkey.

The Saudis have repeatedly announced their commitment to fulfill their duty towards the crime of Khoshoggi killing, and was firmly clear to hold those involved accountable. But with the WaPo still working on demonizing Saudis despite of what they have been doing to serve the Justice in the case of Khoshoggi, the Post stance in this case looks clearly consistent with its silence on how it had been penetrated and used by Qatar and Maggi Salem.

The shock hit the media community last week by those revelations on the manipulation of a foreign government to A writer work will remain as a question that WaPo needs to answer in order to redeem its position in the free press arena and to serve indeed for the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness”.

Saudi Writer *