The U.S. Loved the Saudi Crown Prince. Not Anymore.
Mohammed bin Salman was hailed as a reformer in Washington. Does anyone still think that after the brutal killing of Jamal Khashoggi?
Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for Saudi Arabia was impressive even before he became crown prince in June 2017.
In the West, he quickly became known for his support of women driving, the opening of movie theaters and comedy clubs, and his plan to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy. Criticism about his alleged role in the brutal war in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar, and the effective kidnapping of Lebanon’s prime minister were brushed aside.
But the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist, has cast MbS, as he is known, in a different light: no longer the long-awaited reformer, but yet another authoritarian.
[Read: ]The crisis over Khashoggi’s disappearance
MbS’s ascent coincided with a new
