ML-Implode News - What Happened in Saudi Arabia Last Night -- And How Washington Corruption Enabled It

The moveÂ marks a moment of reckoning for Washington's foreign policy establishment, which struck a bargain of sorts with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, and Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the U.S. who has beenÂ MBS's leading advocate in Washington. The unspoken arrangement was clear: The UAE and Saudi Arabia would pump millions into Washington'sÂ political ecosystem while mouthing a belief in "reform," and Washington would pretend to believe that they meant it. MBS has won praise for some policies, like an openness to reconsidering Saudi Arabia's ban on women drivers.
Meanwhile, however, the 32-year-old MBS has been pursuing a dangerouslyÂ impulsive and aggressive regional policy, which has included a heightening of tensions with Iran, a catastrophic war on Yemen, and a blockade of ostensible ally Qatar.Â Those regional policies have been disasters for the millions who have suffered the consequences, including the starving people of Yemen, as well as for Saudi Arabia, butÂ MBS has dug in harder and harder. And his supporters in Washington have not blinked.

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What Happened in Saudi Arabia Last Night -- And How Washington Corruption Enabled It