Matthew Lee reports from WashingtonUS president, Donald Trump, put a big and risky bet on Saudi Arabia and its 33-year-old crown prince. “Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening, there are a lot of good people you could choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself. Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, has made Saudi Arabia a centrepiece of his yet-to-be-revealed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which is expected to call for massive Saudi and Gulf Arab contributions to fund reconstruction and development projects in the West Bank and Gaza. That means that Israel will likely seek assurances that any deal with the Palestinians be followed by a broader agreement that normalises its relations with the rest of the Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia. Of course, Trump’s bet could still pay off, in the event the Khashoggi investigation is found to be credible and those responsible for his fate are held accountable.

Source: Irish Examiner October 17, 2018 22:52 UTC