Why It Matters That MBS Is Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Now – By Fred Kaplan (Slate) / Oct 1, 2022
The king’s son has been running the country for a while. But the change is not merely aesthetic.
At first glance, it may seem shrug-worthy that the king of Saudi Arabia has named his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to replace him as the country’s prime minister. MBS, as the prince is known, has already been running the country, while his ailing father has served as a figurehead, for some time.
But in fact, the promotion is likely a significant move, for reasons that have not been publicized: Assuming the title of prime minister protects the Crown Prince from a ruling of liability in a U.S. court—and possible arrest while traveling abroad—for his role in the 2018 murder of Saudi critic and American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
First, let’s deal with the true power dynamics of the Saudi kingdom. When Barack Obama was president, I heard stories (which I’ve since confirmed) about two senior U.S. officials meeting with Saudi King Salman in his palace office. While talking, the king gazed at a picture frame on his desk. Off in a corner, the crown prince—who wasn’t so famous at the time—sat typing on his laptop. Gradually the officials realized what was going on: the dutiful son was typing what his ailing father, the king, should say; the picture frame was, in fact, an iPad (or some sort of tablet), and the king was reading aloud a script written by the prince.
CONTINUE > https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/09/mbs-prime-minister-khashoggi-untouchable.html
