MBS's US 'Comeback': Khashoggi's Ghost, Oil's Embrace
Funny how a journalist's dismemberment in a consulate could be rebranded a 'comeback.' The Biden administration initially vowed to treat Saudi Arabia as a 'pariah' (President Biden, 2020), specifically citing the CIA's findings that MBS approved the operation to kill Jamal Khashoggi (DNI report, 2021). Yet, here we are, with 'Gaza diplomacy' and 'reciprocal investments' suddenly softening
Washington's stance. It seems the price of oil, and the strategic alignment against Iran, can magically absolve even the most heinous human rights abuses. This isn't a 'comeback'; it's a cold, calculated transaction. The US, having already approved over $2.3 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia since 2021 (Defense Security Cooperation Agency), now needs MBS to help normalize relations with
Israel. The ethical outrage over Khashoggi evaporated faster than a desert mirage when geopolitical chess pieces needed moving. After all, what's a murdered journalist to a trillion-dollar arms industry and regional power plays?