Campaigners frustrated over Biden’s decision not to sanction Saudi prince for Jamal Khashoggi murder
- Washington did not slap any direct sanctions on Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known by his initials MBS
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Biden wants to ‘recalibrate’ but not ‘rupture’ Washington’s relations with Riyadh
US President Joe Biden’s decision not to sanction Saudi Arabia’s crown prince over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has frustrated campaigners, underscoring Washington’s delicate balancing act as it seeks to avoid a diplomatic rupture.
Washington on Friday released a long-delayed intelligence report that accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving Khashoggi’s 2018 murder in Istanbul, drawing a rebuke from Riyadh, which strongly rejected the assessment.
The public censure of the prince along with US sanctions on dozens of Saudi officials marks a sharp departure from the policy of former president Donald Trump, who sought to shield the kingdom’s de facto ruler.
But Washington did not slap any direct sanctions on Prince Mohammed, known by his initials MBS, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken explaining that Biden wants to “recalibrate” but not “rupture” its relations with Riyadh, a long-standing Middle East partner.
“This is not the Saudi smack-down that many” expected, said Varsha Koduvayur, a research analyst at the Foundation for defence of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.