Before becoming president, Joe Biden called Saudi Arabia "cruel" to his subjects in the horrific assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
As president, he approved the release in February of a US intelligence report accusing Saudi King Mohammed Bin Salman.
MBS, as he is known, has denied any involvement in the killings
But now, less than six months after taking office, the Biden administration has extended a warm welcome to MBS 'younger brother, Deputy Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid Bin Salman. It is Saudi Arabia's highest-level tour since the Khashoggi assassination in October 2018.
"There has been a concerted effort [within the MBS allies] to strengthen the image of the MBS and Saudi Arabia as a whole," says Michael Stephens, from the Royal United Services Institute (Russia). he adds, "while the harsh earlier statements on the security of the region are undermined."
So does this mean that MBS has been pardoned by Western nations?
It is not true, no, and certainly not human rights organizations, including the UN, which continue to demand a full and independent investigation against the most powerful man in Saudi Arabia, the MBS.
Fifteen Saudi government officials traveled from Riyadh in 2018 on two government planes to Istanbul where they waited for Khashoggi, the emperor's chief critic. As soon as he set foot inside the small Saudi embassy they overpowered him, strangled him to death, and mutilated his body.
Tough truth
Prince Khalid Bin Salman, who has just been welcomed in the United States, was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington at the time. He initially ignored allegations that Khashoggi was assassinated inside the Saudi embassy as "absolutely false and baseless".
When Turkey revealed to the world what had happened by secretly recording events at the small Saudi embassy, the Saudi leadership was forced to change its language. You blamed the "bad operation" and eventually convicted several junior officers after a secret case.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concluded "with a high degree of certainty" that the operation could not have been carried out without the knowledge of the MBS itself. The United States has imposed sanctions on more than 70 Saudi officials linked to human rights abuses and since the assassination of MB has been seen as public isolation from Western leaders.
However, Saudi Arabia is still regarded by many Western governments as a key ally, a defense against Iran's expansion, a key trading partner, a good arms buyer, and a key link in the oil market. So this is where real politics comes into play
Sources familiar with the MBS say there is a gap between the official position of Western governments, public secession from the MBS, and the difficult reality of their bilateral relations with the monarchy.
That is why with confidence and without fear, the closest relative of MBS was able to step into the top offices in Washington last week.
'It's just a matter of time'
Within two days Prince Khalid Bin Salman held meetings with foreign affairs minister Anthony Blinken; Presidential National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan; Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin; and Chairman of the Army Chiefs, General Mark Milley. The list alone paints a picture of the importance the United States holds to its Saudi ally even though, surprisingly, there was no previous announcement of Prince Khalid's visit.
Many issues were discussed, including the war in Yemen, in which Saudi Arabia is trying to withdraw after failing to exterminate Iranian-backed Hittites, who seized power illegally in 2014.
Energy, the oil market, security in the Horn of Africa, and the resumption of Iran's nuclear deal were all discussed. Similarly, it was reported, the issue of Afghanistan, where US forces have now withdrawn and where there are fears the Taliban will return to power and give Al-Qaeda power was also discussed.
Diplomats who know Saudi Arabia agree that it can be, at times, a difficult country about it. Doubts in the West over Mohammed Bin Salman will probably last a lifetime.
"Still the way is not calm for MBS," says Michael Stephens of Russia. "More time will be needed before the West is ready to cooperate with him. But things are getting better for him and it will probably be only a matter of time before he can again visit Western capitals."
