Jonathan Beale

the operation to either capture or kill the journalist was most likely approved by the Saudi crown prince, simply down to his absolute control of the Saudi security services. And several of the men in the hit squad were bodyguards of the crown prince, and they were flying on diplomatic passports on a plane owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

Yes, that's right. If you look at the family photos of G20 leaders when they get together for their summits, you can see one photo where MBS is on the very edge of the frame and a leader that nobody really wants to talk to. But then about a year later, he's back in the centre of the frame, standing next to President Trump. So his visible rehabilitation was pretty quick.

Yes, that's right. If you look at the family photos of G20 leaders when they get together for their summits, you can see one photo where MBS is on the very edge of the frame and a leader that nobody really wants to talk to. But then about a year later, he's back in the centre of the frame, standing next to President Trump. So his visible rehabilitation was pretty quick.

for all sorts of obvious reasons, because Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest exporter of oil and MBS controls the spigot. He's a man you have to do business with. To borrow a phrase, he's too big to fail. and he's not going anywhere.

for all sorts of obvious reasons, because Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest exporter of oil and MBS controls the spigot. He's a man you have to do business with. To borrow a phrase, he's too big to fail. and he's not going anywhere.

And even Joe Biden, who had called the Saudis a pariah and said he would treat them like the pariahs that they were, that's what Biden said when he was on the campaign trail, even he beat a path to Saudi Arabia to meet MBS because he wanted the world oil price to be lower.

And even Joe Biden, who had called the Saudis a pariah and said he would treat them like the pariahs that they were, that's what Biden said when he was on the campaign trail, even he beat a path to Saudi Arabia to meet MBS because he wanted the world oil price to be lower.

It did look strange. And there was a sort of COVID explanation for it. You know, this was after COVID and everyone was being a bit careful about But he wasn't the only world leader to make their way to Saudi Arabia because what happened after Russia's full scale of invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is that the price of oil shot up.

It did look strange. And there was a sort of COVID explanation for it. You know, this was after COVID and everyone was being a bit careful about But he wasn't the only world leader to make their way to Saudi Arabia because what happened after Russia's full scale of invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is that the price of oil shot up.

And we were all plunged into a cost of living crisis and an energy crisis. And the Saudis refused to pump more oil, which would have lowered the price. And so at that very moment, MBS proved how powerful he was and that he could not be avoided and that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the other things he was accused of doing could not be held against him indefinitely.

And we were all plunged into a cost of living crisis and an energy crisis. And the Saudis refused to pump more oil, which would have lowered the price. And so at that very moment, MBS proved how powerful he was and that he could not be avoided and that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the other things he was accused of doing could not be held against him indefinitely.

Yes, that's right.

Yes, that's right.

I think it goes way back, actually, because when Trump announced that he was running for president in 2016, he made a speech in Trump Tower. In that speech, he said, I love the Saudis. They buy apartments from me. Very early on, he had this sense that these people had unimaginable amounts of money. And that impressed him.

I think it goes way back, actually, because when Trump announced that he was running for president in 2016, he made a speech in Trump Tower. In that speech, he said, I love the Saudis. They buy apartments from me. Very early on, he had this sense that these people had unimaginable amounts of money. And that impressed him.

And I think he saw his own presidency and sees his own presidency in sort of dynastic terms. Trump is impressed by dynastic families. He also wanted to sell the Saudis lots of weapons.

And I think he saw his own presidency and sees his own presidency in sort of dynastic terms. Trump is impressed by dynastic families. He also wanted to sell the Saudis lots of weapons.

And the Saudis promised to buy hundreds of millions of dollars of weapons.

And the Saudis promised to buy hundreds of millions of dollars of weapons.

And the Saudis were relieved that he wasn't Barack Obama, that he wasn't lecturing them on human rights, and they felt that this was a president that they could do business with.