The late Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was born in Madina in 1958. He was a journalist by profession but wrote columns on The Washington Post and continued to work as an editor on the Al-Arab News Channel. He was associated with media institutes like Saudi Gazette, Ukaz, Al-Majala, Al-Muslimun and Al-Madina. Saudi Arabian land and life have been narrowed down on Khashoggi for raising voice against the hereditary monarchy and Saudi oppression; equal rights for men and women, and for freedom of expression. Thus he had to leave the kingdom to live and survive. During his self-imposed exile in Turkey, he entered the Saudi embassy to get his wedding papers but could not come out and brutally killed by Saudi secret agents. Plan of this murder was made at the behest of Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman who soon became exposed. Agents involved in the covert operation were part of the Royal Guards and their sole purpose was to "catch or kill" Khashoggi. Back and consent of Prince Mohammad bin Salman are evident from a report published by the director of the US National Intelligence.
The Saudi government and few Islamic countries rejected the report outright and supported justice in the Saudi government's investigation, but the statement could no longer make a country like the US and the international community a fool. The Saudi government immediately expressed ignorance after the Khashoggi assassination, but international pressure and reports blew it all up and blamed the Saudi prince. After all, Mohammed bin Salman's dream of becoming the only Islamic leader in the entire region is being shattered. Assuming the power, he was in a race to come this dream true. For the past several years, the Saudi monarchy has used its influence in Iran, Syria, Yemen and Iraq to raise a number of benefits but this regional supremacy does not seem to last long.
US President Joe Biden has also announced the end of Saudi support on the Yemeni front. So far millions of Yemeni citizens have been forced to starve and die. It should be noted that in 2019 the US Senate passed the non-alignment bill to stop US government support the ongoing war in Yemen. The changing US attitude will be a source of concern for Saudi Arabia as the Saudi monarchy continues to benefit greatly in the international community under the umbrella of American friendship which is reflected in Saudi influence and unrest in the region.
MBS has continued to pressurize most Islamic countries to recognize Israel for purely personal and Saudi interests which resulted in a handful of Islamic countries recognizing Israel as a country. Pakistan was under similar pressure belt last year but PM Imran Khan flatly refused to bow to this pressure and back-to-back goals. The Saudi government felt very angry at Pakistan's blunt stance. On the Indian illegal move of August 2019, Saudi Arabia did not side with Pakistan in the same way as the Pakistani governments stood with the Saudi monarchy. Saudi Arabia continued to play hide and seek on the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and did not openly support Pakistan's position. As a result, when Pakistan turned pressure to Saudi Arabia by hinting call for an independent foreign ministerial meeting, Saudi Arabia expressed solidarity with Kashmir at the OIC meeting, secretly supporting Pakistan's narrative. Pakistan has pure Islamic brotherhood and off and on offered its services as a brotherly Islamic country, but Saudi Arabia, with significant investments in India, cracked down on decades of Pak-Saudi relations.
In the first week of December last year, one of the Saudi Air Force personnels shot dead 3 Florida U.S. Navy personnel. Now the U.S. Investigating Agency (FBI) has decided to deport Saudi Air Force personnel under training. This decision will further isolate MBS. Donald Trump had already criticized the Saudi monarchy saying that without US military support, the Saudi government would neither last two weeks nor Saudi Prince Salman could stay in power. Saudi Arabia continues to fight proxy wars with Iran and other countries on the shoulders of US forces. The Saudi army is seen standing on Pakistan and Iraq on the one hand and US military aid and training.
While maintaining relations with Pakistan, MBS has joined the Indian camp. He is also moving away from his powerful ally the US in the Cold War against Iran. Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was exposed while limiting the role of Turkey. Spreading regional influence and presence, the Crown Prince is now seen losing in front of Houthi rebels in Yemen. In tension and unrest, Saudi Arabia will once again feel the need for Pakistan or Israel. The need of this bond is urgent because Saudi Arabia cannot do everything alone to end the ongoing uncertainty in the region and to deal with its rivals and to maintain its influence.
