Will Khalid Bin Salman Succeed in Whitewashing the Reputation of His Brother, MBS?
The killing of the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi regime of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in one of the most egregious murders and liquidations against a political opponent, marked the entry of US-Saudi relations into a dark corner, more turbulent and less friendly.
With the passage of time, the rulers of Riyadh realized that the factor of time alone is not enough to solve the crisis, and that they had to initiate in a different way to melt the existing ice, specifically regarding bin Salman, the most important and heaviest person within the royal family, and the actual ruler of the country.
The recent trip to Washington, led by Prince Khalid bin Salman, the younger brother of the crown prince, came with many indications and expectations, to solve problems and whitewash the reputation of bin Salman among American policy makers.
Prince Khaled is the heaviest Saudi official to have landed in the White House since Khashoggi's assassination, which confirms that he went to transmit messages aiming to bring the relations back as it was before the ordeal
Khashoggi’s File
Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman set off for America on a surprise trip on July 7, 2021, in the first official Saudi visit during the administration of US President Joe Biden.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA), announced the day after the arrival of bin Salman's brother, that he held extensive discussions with officials of the US Department of Defense, led by Defense Minister "Lloyd Austin", as well as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Mark Milley", and the US Undersecretary of Defense for Policies Colin Kahl.
For its part, the American newspaper, "The Wall Street Journal", indicated, in the context of dealing with the visit of the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister, that it is one of the indications that the Biden administration may turn the page on Khashoggi's killing.
US President Joe Biden pledged during his presidential campaign to hold bin Salman accountable, with the conclusions of an American intelligence report released by the White House administration in February 2021, which stated that the crown prince gave permission to assassinate Khashoggi.
On July 6, 2021, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the issue of "Khashoggi" was likely to be discussed during meetings with Prince Khalid bin Salman.
A White House press release indicated that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stressed "the importance of progress in the field of human rights in Saudi Arabia."
More Complicated Situation
The younger brother of the Saudi crown prince did not discuss the Khashoggi case alone, but rather he discussed complex regional files and bitter conflicts in which Riyadh has been involved for years.
This is what happened when he met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, on July 8, 2021, and asked for Riyadh's support to defend itself from the devastating Houthi attacks across the borders.
Prince Khaled, for his part, tweeted about the meeting, describing it as "great."
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said about Khalid bin Salman's visit: "American officials discussed ways to work with Riyadh to confront armed drones, the most used weapon by groups linked to Iran to attack Saudi Arabia."
He did not forget that Prince Khaled's visit and discussion of armaments and defense issues came at a critical time with the Biden administration withdrawing many air defense systems from Saudi Arabia recently.
Nevertheless, the commander of the US Central Command in the Middle East, General Kenneth McKenzie, praised progress in helping the Saudi armed forces to strengthen their new air defenses.
The other issue that is of constant concern to Riyadh and the Saudi crown prince is related to the Iranian nuclear program, and the resumption of talks between Washington and Tehran once again.
The American Al-Hurra channel said: Prince Khaled brought up this particular part with the discussion of the situation inside the occupied Palestinian territories, and the latest developments in the relationship with Israel.
Complex Orientations
On the other hand, Prince Khaled was not the only one who carried fears and sought to open new pages with the US administration, as the White House rulers, in turn, are working to dissolve differences and achieve a qualitative leap in the cold relationship.
This was reported by the US Al-Monitor website on July 7, 2021, when it said: "Biden's strategic concerns about the strengthening of China's military situation have marginalized the administration's public commitment to human rights in Saudi Arabia and escalated talk of Khashoggi's killing."
He added, "Despite broadcasting Saudi Arabia as a dictator state, the Biden administration continues to view Riyadh's economic power as a pillar of stability in the Middle East, at a time when US officials focus their attention elsewhere."
The American website stated that "Washington hopes to reduce tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its proxies in the region, and Prince Khaled plays a major role in his country's talks with Iranian officials in Baghdad."
On August 8, 2020, Russia Today published a report on Chinese companies that help the Kingdom organize the production of enriched uranium that is used to develop nuclear weapons.
It stressed that the Saudis have great ambitions to develop nuclear energy in the country.
This was one of Washington's greatest concerns. In addition to the fear of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, the entry of China as a guarantor and supporter of Riyadh in this matter is an event that cannot be overlooked.
The American newspaper "The New York Times" confirmed on August 6, 2020 Washington's concerns about the Saudi nuclear program, and the actual scale of activities aimed at developing nuclear weapons.
Sending the Prince Khalid bin Salman specifically to America, and his discussion of all these difficult files and issues, came as a natural situation, bypassing an ambiguous future that may carry many surprises.
Reason of His Selection
Perhaps the crown prince saw in Khalid bin Salman the right man to give him full confidence in this pivotal journey, for several reasons.
The most important of them is that he was his country's ambassador to Washington for years, before Riyadh summoned him to fulfill his role as deputy defense minister.
Bin Salman summoned his brother Khaled to fill this position on February 23, 2019.
Media reports said that the king would like Khaled's official residence to continue in Washington to continue his work in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, but bin Salman saw his presence by his side better.
Today, he uses it in his mission, especially because Khaled is popular in American industrial circles, and he has close relations with them.
He also enjoys several advantages, the most important of which are the high degrees of education he obtained at home and abroad.
He graduated from King Faisal Air College in Riyadh, and King Salman (then Crown Prince) himself attended his graduation ceremony.
He then joined the Royal Saudi Air Force, and received his first training at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
He received advanced training at Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, Mississippi.
He also studied advanced electronic warfare in France, and applied for graduate studies at Georgetown University to obtain a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies.
His preoccupations with the positions he held prevented the completion of the study.
Then Khalid bin Salman worked as an F-15 pilot and a tactical intelligence officer in the Royal Saudi Air Force.
He carried out many air combat missions, in the Royal Saudi Forces, as part of the international coalition campaign against the “Islamic State” organization in Syria and as part of Operation Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope in Yemen.
Those qualifications made Khalid bin Salman, at the head of the team sent by the Crown Prince to break the deadlock related to his person, with the current US administration.
