Reformer or Autocrat? Saudi Prince Is Both
Westerners see a link between political, economic and social liberalization. Mohammed bin Salman doesn’t.
Real reform, up to a point.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesA growing body of evidence links the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the Saudi government led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Suspicions about the prince's involvement threaten to strain relations with the U.S., which had embraced his efforts to modernize Saudi Arabia's society and economy and to play a strong regional role in Middle East affairs.
That explains why many prominent Americans eager to strengthen Saudi ties have cast him as a progressive, modernizing reformer. And that’s why it's so significant that influential members of Congress are now talking about him as though he's just another power-hungry autocrat.