Khashoggi murder: US softens towards Saudi leader

Before becoming president, Joe Biden called Saudi Arabia “Pariah” for his part in the terrible murder of Saudi Jamal Jamal Khashoggi journalist. As president, he validated the release in February the burdensome US intelligence report that pointed to suspicion in the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. MBS, because he is known as, has denied any role.

But now, less than six months after serving, Biden’s administration has launched a red carpet for MBS’s younger brother, Deputy Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman. This is the highest Saudi visit since Khashoggi’s murder in October 2018.

“There has been a joint effort [in the MBS circle ‘in the Kingdom Court] to rehabilitate the image of MBS and Saudi Arabia more broadly,” said Michael Stephens, colleagues in the London Think-Tank The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). “The kingdom has focused economic opportunities,” he added, “while rhetoric fiery [earlier] about regional security has been tightened.”

So does this mean that MBS has been forgiven in the West?

Not exactly, no, and of course not by human rights organizations, including the United Nations, which continues to summon full independent investigations that include the strongest men in Saudi Arabia, MBS.

Fifteen Saudi government officials fly from Riyadh in 2018 in two government jets to Istanbul where they are waiting for Khashoggi, a leading critic of Prince Crown. As soon as he set foot in the Saudis Consulate, they defeated him, making him desperately die and cut his body.

Hard reality.

Prince Khalid bin Salman, who had just been welcomed in the US, was the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Washington at the time. He initially rejected the advice that Khashoggi had been killed in the Saudi Consulate as “truly wrong and unfounded”.

When Turkey revealed to the world what happened by disturbing the Saudi Consulate, Saudi leadership was forced to retreat. It blamed the “naughty operation” and finally sentenced a number of small officials after the secret trial.

But the American Center Intelligence Agency (CIA) concludes “with a high level of trust” that the operation cannot be done without the knowledge of MBS itself. The US sanctioned more than 70 Saudi officials related to human rights violations and since the murder of the Crown Prince had been publicly shunned by Western leaders.

But Saudi Arabia is still seen by most Western governments as an important allies, the fort against Iran’s expansion, important trading partners, customers who are beneficial for the arms and influence of stabilization on the oil market. So this is a realpolitical place to creep in.

•  US-Saudi Alliance: The main reset is underway
• Saudi human rights under the new spotlight in the Biden era

The source familiar with the Crown Prince said there was a gap between the official attitude of the Western government, distancing himself from MBS, and the hard reality of their bilateral relations with the kingdom.

That is why, with Swies from his robe trimmed, the closest relatives of MBS were able to set foot in several of the highest offices in Washington last week.

‘Matter of time’

During the two days Prince Khalid bin Salman held a meeting with the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken; The President’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan; Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin; And chief chief of joint, Gen Mark Milley. The list itself gives an indication of the importance of the US to view Saudi allies even if, let’s tell you, there is no previous announcement about the visit of Prince Khalid or its schedule.