A year ago, I was two things: the opinion editor for this newspaper, and not paying attention to Saudi Arabian affairs. The knowledge I had was from an article published in this section about a year ago by Max Kronstadt, about Mohammed bin Salman, the heir apparent to the throne in Riyadh. At the time, it seemed like the prince (M.B.S. for short) was leading the way in reforming Saudi Arabia — effectively bringing the country into the 21st century through his comparatively liberal reforms in regard to women’s rights in the country and an anti-corruption campaign against prominent business and political leaders. The prince has been a bit of a media darling, having dinner with Hollywood actor, and posturing as a cosmopolitan Western leader. Since then, though, and especially in recent weeks, it has become apparent that M.B.S. may well be nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The most salient example of M.B.S.’s dubious moral compass right now would be the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi journalist for the Washington Post and permanent resident of the United States. A few weeks ago, Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The feed from the security cameras outside the building is the last time he was seen alive. Turkish officials have released a story claiming that more than a dozen assassins tortured and dismembered Khashoggi before a body double exited the consulate wearing the now-deceased journalist’s clothes. This visceral, brutal killing has been a focus of the Western media, and was vehemently denied by the Saudi government up until a few days ago.
The killing has caused outcry from many foreign ministers and world leaders, including United States senators from both sides of the aisle. The Saudis have offered conflicting versions of why and how Khashoggi lost his life, while the Turkish government has offered the grislier narrative. President Donald Trump, for his part, initially dismissed the killing as having been perpetrated by ‘rogue killers’ before acknowledging the half-truths in Saudi Arabia’s explanation.
This story is appalling for many reasons. The ordered murder of a dissident journalist is a profound violation of freedom of speech and is in line with the behavior of a tyrant. There is no concrete evidence linking M.B.S. to Khashoggi’s death, although the Turkish authorities say that they have records of four calls made to the prince around the same time that Khashoggi was killed. M.B.S. is under intense scrutiny as the man who could control Saudi Arabia for decades to come, and Jamal Khashoggi’s death casts a pall over M.B.S.’s reputation as a reformer.
His actions in Yemen and in regards to the Lebanese prime minister have been less than savory as well. Saudi-led air strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen have had civilian casualties, including the destruction of a school bus with Yemeni children on board. As a key military leader for the Saudi government, M.B.S. wields an enormous amount of power in regard to Middle Eastern military strategy. Viewed as a key ally against Iran for the Trump administration, it’s important for the administration’s state department to stay in the prince’s good graces, and these abstract civilian deaths don’t necessarily have the same media shock value as the dismemberment of a journalist.
As for Lebanon, about a year ago Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced he was going to resign during a trip to Saudi Arabia. Upon his return to Beirut, he delivered a press conference, backpedaling on his previous commitment to leave office. The timing of this announcement seemed suspect, given his time spent in Riyadh with Saudi leadership, causing some to conjecture that Hariri was unduly pressured, even taken hostage, by Saudi Arabia to persuade him to remain in office. This week, M.B.S. even joked about an upcoming visit by the prime minister, saying he hopes no one jumps to conclusions about the latter being kidnapped.
This is barely scratching the surface of the complex forces at work surrounding Prince Mohammed. He was a figure seen by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, as an important piece of Middle Eastern foreign policy. As second-in-line to the throne, he was invited to a meeting with President Trump shortly after the latter’s inauguration. This move is seen by some as something that may have propelled M.B.S. to the position of incredible influence he holds today. He is the defense minister of his country, and is deeply tied to the lucrative arms deal between the Saudis and the United States.
I am far from an expert on Middle Eastern policy or the complex relationships between Saudi reforms, extremism, and United States foreign policy and strategy in the region. But Mohammed bin Salman is a study in the danger of power. He gained power quickly, partially through a favorable association with the White House, and now we see how he wields it. Be wary. He might not be the hero he seems to be.