Lankford says Saudis’ warning of $200 oil is an ‘idle threat’

An idle threat.

It’s what U.S. Sen. James Lankford says of the warning by the Saudi Arabian government that it would drive up the price of oil to $200 a barrel if the U.S. were to implement sanctions over the disappearance and suspected murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

“At some point, the Saudi Arabian’s are gonna have to admit they know what happened, either that they bothed a snatch and grab, or that they murdered him intentionally or someone they know murdered him,” said Lankford in an interview with OK Energy Today. “You don’t walk into the embassy and not walk out and the Saudis not know what happened.”

Reports now indicate there might be audio recordings of the suspect murder of Khashoggi in  the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul, Turkey.

The New York Times on Thursday reported Saudi agents were reportedly waiting for Khashoggi when he walked into their country’s consulate two weeks ago. The paper claims Khashoggi was dead within minutes, beheaded, dismembered and his fingers severed. The killers were gone within two hours.

“There’s still a tremendous number of questions,” said Sen. Lankford. “This will not go away and this will be an issue the Saudis have to respond to.”

As for the $200 a barrel threat?

“I think the Saudis trying to drive oil up to $200 a barrel is an idle threat from them. The more likely scenario from them is that they flood the market with oil and try to be able to hurt producers by driving the market down, rather than being able to drive the price up so high,” he answered.

Sen. Lankford pointed out the Saudi do not have the influence and control on the oil market they once did.

“The United States is now the larger producer than Saudi Arabia and that’s why it’s exceptionally important over the last ten years the U.S. has become such a dominant energy force in the world. We are not beholden to Saudi Arabia anymore,” he stated. “Now with the American energy renaissance that we have, the U.S. is in the driver’s seat.”

The Saudis can influence the price of oil, said Lankford but not near the level they once had. That’s why it is important for the U.S. to continue to produce more and more energy to “provide for our national security.”

The Senator said he personally “counseled” President Trump on the issue in a recent Oval Office meeting where the two also discussed the release of pastor Andrew Brunson who had been held in a Turkish prison for the past two years.

“So far, the President’s been very, very careful which I have quite frankly counseled him to do as well as the administration to do,” continued the Senator.

“When we don’t know what has happened to someone—you can’t step out and say they were murdered. The right thing to do is be careful at this moment, then hold swift justice if we find out these things are true.”