A test balloon of the Saudi crown prince? Saud al-Qahtani, one of the main suspects in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, was revealed in a rare appearance in a video recently circulated by his associates.
Brief background: In the five years since the murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, al-Qahtani has lowered his profile and disappeared from the public eye. Other people involved in the affair were put on trial, but al-Qahtani – a close associate of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – did not stick to it. Although the secret counsel was questioned by the prosecution, he was not charged, due to "lack of evidence."
"Tortured and eliminated." Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Photo: AP
Saudi sources indicate that the former adviser was given the green light for the video by bin Salman himself and visited his uncle in the city of Jeddah, but it is unclear when it was filmed. Officially, al-Qahtani was in charge of media affairs in the Royal Bureau and was fired on the night Saudi Arabia claimed indirect responsibility for Khashoggi's murder.
The Saudi opposition took pains to mention his other exploits. "This perpetrator harassed detainees and supervised the torture of clerics and preachers in prisons," wrote Islamist journalist Turki al-Shalhoub. "Bin Salman wants to send a message to the international community, especially the United States, that he does not regret killing Khashoggi and harassing the detainees," another opposition activist said. Lina al-Hadloul said Khashoggi tortured her sister Loujain while she was in jail for more than 1,000 days for her women's rights activism.
The hubris of the crown prince
The al-Qahtani controversy sheds light on the hubris of bin Salman, who is no longer afraid of criticism at home or abroad. A little over a week ago, he was received with royal honors in Paris.
At the same time, he is dealing with the United States with astonishing aggression, reportedly threatening to exact economic prices when it comes to the oil markets.
Documentation: Khashkoji's body parts are transferred
This trend is especially evident in the prince's double game. On the one hand, he is getting closer to China and Iran, and on the other hand, he is bargaining with the West. This is how the contacts with the United States on a "civilian" nuclear program, security guarantees, and advanced weapons should be viewed so that it will be beneficial to normalize relations with Israel. But despite his optimism, his exaggerated demands appear to be an elegant attempt to evade a deal, at least for now.
Because through the veil of euphoria, the future is not as bright as it seems. The 87-year-old king is not getting younger by the day; The ceasefire in the war in Yemen is extremely fragile; And once in a while, the Saudi press publishes reports about executions of terrorist operatives.
"Struggle for stability"
Saudi author Ali Samir Shihabi, who is affiliated with the regime, alluded to these concerns in an article in Al Arabiya. According to him, the issue of human rights should be viewed in the context of the rapid changes in the country.
Bin Salman with Biden. Tough negotiator, photo: AP
"Many of the measures are objectionable," Shihabi wrote. "The government is struggling to ensure quiet and stability. Saudi Arabia continues to wage a battle against extremists who express sympathy for al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State. Al-Qaeda produces videos online condemning bin Salman and calling for harm to him and his government."
The article is more than a signal that the royal family is aware of the threats. The big question is whether the prince understands them, or is willing to gamble.
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