Member-only story
MBS Grants Rare U.S. Interview
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sat down this week for a remarkably candid interview.
“Saudi crown prince says in rare interview ‘every day we get closer’ to normalization with Israel,” Will Weissert reported the good news for the Associated Press this week.
“Saudi Arabia is discussing a major agreement with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and aid in developing its own civilian nuclear program,” wrote Weissert in a tone of surprise.
In a rare interview, Saudi Crown Prince and de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman sat down with Fox News’s Bret Baier this week. The U.S. media establishment is still reeling from the revelations contained therein.
The interview was rare, but it wasn’t the first.
“Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Talks to TIME About the Middle East, Saudi Arabia’s Plans, and President Trump,” reported TIME Magazine in 2018.
“Did you order the murder of Jamal Khashoggi?” the Saudi Crown Prince was asked by Norah O’Donnell during an interview in 2019.
“Absolutely not,” replied the Prince without breaking stride. “This was a heinous crime. But I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi…