Topline
Despite U.S. intelligence finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader is still denying he had any role in the killing, blasting President Joe Biden’s call for “accountability” in a wide-ranging interview published in The Atlantic Thursday.
Key Facts
Bin Salman, 36, commonly known by his initials “MBS,” claimed it was “obvious” he didn’t order Khashoggi’s killing, saying the Washington Post columnist and well-known critic of the Saudi government was not important enough to warrant an assassination.
Biden has not met with MBS since taking office, and during his presidential campaign vowed to make Saudi Arabia “pay the price” for the killing and other alleged human rights violations, calling the Middle Eastern nation a “pariah.”
MBS told The Atlantic, “Simply, I do not care” if Biden misunderstands him, adding, “It’s up to him to think about the interests of America.”
The prince also suggested Saudi Arabia, long considered a U.S. ally, may seek a closer relationship with China, saying, “I believe other people in the East are going to be super happy” if the U.S.-Saudi relationship continues to devolve.
The interview was the first MBS gave to a non-Saudi news outlet in more than two years, according to The Atlantic.
Surprising Fact
MBS said Thursday Saudi Arabia may consider the “possibility of reducing” some $800 billion worth of U.S. investment in the country, according to Reuters, citing state-run news media.
Key Background
MBS’ once-glowing reputation as a reformer of Saudi Arabia’s hard-line Islamic laws was tarnished after Khashoggi’s death in 2018, which came a year after the journalist fled the country, saying he was being punished for criticizing MBS and others in the royal family. Khashoggi was attacked and suffocated to death before being dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he’d gone to retrieve papers for a wedding. Investigations have continually found MBS was behind the killing, but he told The Atlantic he was clearly not involved in the killing since Khashoggi “would not even be among the top 1,000 people” on an apparently hypothetical kill list, also suggesting the assassination wasn’t professional enough to be carried out by the state. MBS said intelligence connecting him to the killing “hurt me, and it hurt Saudi Arabia” after he was hailed for earlier reforms such as legalizing concerts and granting women the right to drive. He’s also faced criticism over the past few years for escalating a civil war in Yemen and jailing numerous dissidents in Saudi Arabia.
Crucial Quote
“We have a long, historical relationship with America,” MBS said. “Our aim is to keep it and strengthen it.”
What To Watch For
MBS is slated to become Saudi Arabia’s king and absolute ruler after the reign of his father, 86-year-old King Salman, comes to an end.
Further Reading
ABSOLUTE POWER (The Atlantic)
Saudi crown prince says kingdom could reduce U.S. investments -SPA (Reuters)
