- "Some ‘Modernizer’," Reuel Marc Gerecht, The Weekly Standard
Following intense pressure from Turkey and the United States over the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi king and crown prince are looking to rally support among their domestic base.
Hassan Mneimneh writes: For the critics and opponents of Saudi Arabia, the Khashoggi murder is an additional argument, even if not yet an irrefutable proof, that the Kingdom and its rulers are a malignant or a malevolent agency. For the proponents of a US-Saudi partnership, some action may eventually be warranted, but the thrust ought to be avoiding the degradation of the relationship as a result of one incident, however grave, if no direct link to the country’s top leadership is exposed. – Washington Institute