Saudi Prince Heads to Congress: Money Outweighs Machetes Once Again
The mainstream media breathlessly notes that MBS, the figure linked by U.S. intelligence to Jamal Khashoggi's brutal 2018 murder, is back in Congress's good graces. What Al-Monitor doesn't foreground is the transactional nature of this volte-face. The Saudi Public Investment Fund, controlled by MBS, has invested billions in U.S. tech and entertainment. Meanwhile, Saudi efforts to normalize
relations with Israel, a consistent goal for AIPAC — which has poured millions into congressional campaigns — are well underway. One might wonder if human rights concerns simply evaporate when geopolitical alignments and investment dollars align. So, the prince once shunned for ordering the dismemberment of a journalist (Jamal Khashoggi, November 2, 2018, as reported by The Washington Post) is now
a 'valued partner.' How many journalists, or Yemenis bombed with U.S.-supplied weapons, does it take for some members of Congress to develop a backbone that isn't made of cash?