Saudi Arabia Awards Top Honor to US General

Saudi Arabia has conferred its highest civilian and military honor upon General Michael Erik Kurilla, the former Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), who is widely criticized for supporting Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

Following the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman presented the ‘King Abdulaziz Medal’ to the retired general.

The ceremony took place in Riyadh on Thursday (February 19). General Kurilla is a controversial figure in the Muslim world due to his active intelligence support to Israel during raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque and military operations in Gaza. During a testimony in the US Congress last year, he prioritized the elimination of Hamas over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Furthermore, Kurilla drew international condemnation in 2022 after visiting the Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, where he referred to the displaced Muslim children as "ticking time bombs" and future ISIS fighters.

The decision to honor such a figure has sparked a wave of outrage across the Middle East and beyond, especially given the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. While Saudi Arabia faces scrutiny for this move, it is noteworthy that Pakistan had also previously awarded him the 'Nishan-i-Imtiaz,' one of its highest military honors.