Saudi Crown Prince Unstable, Unreliable, and Pure Evil
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
After over six weeks since Jamal Khashoggi’s Saudi ordered murder inside its Istanbul consulate, fallout from the incident continues.
It’s surprising since ruling authorities in Washington, Europe, and most other countries want nothing interfering with their dirty business as usual with the kingdom.
Saudi oil and super-wealth buy enormous influence. Nations want longstanding ties to the kingdom preserved – regardless of the furor over Khashoggi’s assassination.
Yet Riyadh shot itself in the foot by repeatedly lying about what happened, exposed by Turkish revealed evidence, along with going all out to shield de facto ruler Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) of responsibility for ordering Khashoggi’s elimination.
There’s virtually no doubt about it. Trump and regime hardliners want to move on from the incident.
Surprisingly, GOP senators won’t let go. For weeks, neocon Lindsey Graham slammed MBS, in mid-October saying: “You don’t have to be Sherlock” to figure out who ordered the killing.
Calling MBS a “wrecking ball” of a leader, he accused him of ordering Khashoggi’s murder, “and to expect me to ignore it. I feel used and abused.”
The crown prince “was annoyed with this guy. They lured him” to the Istanbul consulate and killed him. “I will not have my intelligence insulted” about what happened and who’s responsible. adding:
Congressional members want sanctions imposed on the kingdom. Graham stressed MBS has to go. On Tuesday, he said the “situation (won’t be) fixed as long as he’s around,” adding:
“I am of the opinion that the current leadership, the MBS leadership, has been a disaster for the relationship and the region, and I will find it very difficult to do business as usual with somebody who’s been this unstable.”
According to Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker, Senate legislation may be voted on before yearend to cut off all US assistance to Riyadh, saying:
“Senators are looking for some way to show Saudi Arabia the disdain they have for what has happened with the journalist, but also concerns about” Yemen.
It’s Washington’s war, ongoing since October 2001, the Saudis and UAE heavily involved since March 2015, operating as US proxies.
The Trump regime has no intention of halting the fighting. Nor have major media explained what the war is all about and where responsibility mostly lies – in Washington.
According to the Middle East Eye website, MBS urged Netanyahu to wage war on Gaza, wanting attention shifted from him to the Strip.
On Tuesday, Israel agreed to a UN/Egyptian brokered truce. For now, intense Israeli aggression stopped. Like countless times before, the Strip will likely be attacked again, a manufactured Netanyahu regime pretext used as justification.
Maybe full scale war will erupt next time – whenever Israel and Washington decide it serves their strategic interests. It’s just a matter of time before it happens.
The Saudis reportedly arrested 18 people for involvement in Khashoggi’s killing, including members of the hit squad sent to Istanbul to eliminate him.
It’s highly unlikely any valued senior officials close to MBS will be prosecuted, imprisoned, or worse – subjected to public beheading, the kingdom’s favorite death sentence.
Two close MBS aides/advisors were likely involved in what happened – Saud el-Qahtani and Turki al-Sheikh, perhaps the kingdom’s most powerful and feared figures after king Salman and the crown prince.
Regional analyst Kristin Smith Diwan said both officials “are the closest people to” MBS – “his political enforcers and the face of the brash new ‘Saudi first’ posture at home and abroad…”
Neither is among the 18 people arrested. Qahtani was blamed for involvement in Khashogg’s murder, reportedly reassigned to other duties.
Sheikh was abroad when it happened. Before his murder, Khashoggi said both figures reflect what the worst of MBS is all about – ruthless and dangerous.
He and his key aides are feared for good reason. Cross them and end up like Khashoggi.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
