Saudi crown prince has not been held to account

The declassified US intelligence report into the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi delivered a damning assessment of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in the atrocity. The four-page document did not provide the “smoking gun” directly linking Prince Mohammed to the murder some had hoped for. But top US intelligence officials did conclude that he approved an operation to “capture or kill” the journalist at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.

It leaves little doubt that Riyadh’s claims that it was a rogue operation, of which the crown prince had no knowledge, were spurious. The probe implicated senior aides of the crown prince, and members of his elite protection detail, in an operation it concluded it was “highly unlikely” to have gone ahead without his authorisation.

The Biden administration should be applauded for releasing the report, which Donald Trump sat on as he put billion-dollar arms sales before human rights. But, to the chagrin of many, Prince Mohammed remains unsanctioned more than two years after the October 2018 murder, while the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s dismembered body is still unknown. In other words the US found him responsible, but did not hold him to account.

The administration announced visa restrictions against 76 Saudis under what it called a “Khashoggi ban” that it will use against individuals acting on behalf of governments which target journalists and activists. But the names of the Saudis have not been released, meaning it is hard to gauge what impact the visa bans will have on the crown prince’s entourage.

Prince Mohammed has overseen a brutal crackdown against all hints of dissent, jailing royals, businessmen, bloggers and academics. Khashoggi’s murder was simply the most atrocious act. Saudis say lower profile arrests continue. Scores remain behind bars.

Yet after surviving the diplomatic crisis, the crown prince has largely been able to put the killing behind him. He may not be welcomed as he once was in some western capitals, but many in business and finance continue to cosy up to him. Music and sports stars have performed for large fees at events that are part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to modernise the kingdom.

The intelligence report should cause all to think again. The lure of petrodollars has for too long trumped morals. True, Prince Mohammed has pushed through reforms that have eased social restrictions in the conservative kingdom and efforts to diversify the oil-dependent economy are long overdue. But any positive changes have been sullied by his ruthless treatment of those deemed to have stepped out of line.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the administration had opted to recalibrate rather than “rupture” its relationship with Riyadh. Joe Biden chose realpolitik over more severe measures as he weighed how to handle the world’s top oil exporter and an important regional security and intelligence partner. But a reset, as Biden has promised, is urgently needed. He has already suspended arms sales to the kingdom and made it clear that his point of contact will be King Salman.

Prince Mohammed should receive a very public cold shoulder. Sustained and meaningful pressure is needed on him to release those detained, sometimes for no more than a tweet. European powers must also re-examine their engagement with Riyadh and the crown prince. If the Biden administration is to restore the US’s moral standing it must ensure Prince Mohammed feels the consequences of his actions and knows that any further malign behaviour will be severely dealt with.